Ranchi, Nov. 13: Over 100 assistant engineers posted in the state water resources department have knocked on the door of the Prime Minister's office (PMO), demanding promotions that have been withheld allegedly by the powers that be for over three decades.

In a letter dated November 6 sent to the PMO, one of them alleged that a large number of assistant engineers, who were recruited way back in 1979 and 1987 by the then government of unified Bihar, were not given any promotion even after spending 28-36 years in service. Many of them are on the verge of retirement while others have already retired without a single promotion.

The letter, copies of which have also been forwarded to chief minister Raghubar Das and chief secretary Rajiv Gauba, seeks to highlight this strange state of affairs in the department, where 159 out of the 185 sanctioned posts for executive engineers are lying vacant for ages.

The letter, a copy of which is in possession of The Telegraph, also stated the department's promotion committee had held a meeting in April 15 after prodding by department secretary Sukhdev Singh.

The committee, in its report sent to the state cabinet in July, recommended promotions for over 100 assistant engineers of the 1979 and 1987 batches. The cabinet approved the recommendation.

However, a notification announcing that the promotions was not brought out by the department.

Secretary Singh again sent the files to water resources minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary, recommending promotions for the engineers.

The letter alleged: "After the files reached the minister's office, the engineers concerned were contacted 'to get their work done' by the minister's men. But as the things (read deals) did not materialise, the minister returned the files with illogical comments after 25-30 days."

An engineer of Gumla waterways circle said: "We have got to know that some trusted aides of the minister are active and they may grant us promotions, albeit through unholy means."

A senior official, privy to the matter, said a simple notification was to be issued by the department after the cabinet decision. "But it seems the powers that be are not serious about a corruption-free governance," he said.

Contacted, department secretary Singh said the files were being sent again.

"Some queries have been raised by the minister. We are replying to them," he told The Telegraph refusing to elaborate on the "queries".