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Bhutan is developing and there are lots of infrastructure developments taking place. For that engineers and architects play a big role. As it is, there is a lot of shortage, both at the headquarters and also in the Dzongkhags. But as our reporter Kuenga Tashi finds out many have resigned and more are thinking of resigning. What could be the reasons?
BBS tried to find out the number of engineers and architects resigned from the civil service in last one year but could get the figure from the Royal Civil Service Commission. However, BBS found out that about 35 engineers resigned in the last one year from the Department of Roads alone. Few more are contemplating resigning.
The shortage of engineers and architects is acute in the Dzongkhags. Over hundreds of works are being carried out with just few engineers. According to some of the District engineers they are over-burdened with works, thereby compromising their quality.
“A single engineer is handling at least 15 works. There is a standing executive order from the Prime Minister saying that each engineer is allowed to or should be given only five works at a time,” said Choki Tashi, Deputy Executive Engineer of Bumthang.
The District Engineer of Tsirang, Jigme Lepcha, said that the engineers also have to prepare bills. “Due to shortage of engineers and time constraints, the quality gets compromised.”
The government is aware of the concern. The Minister for Works and Human Settlement Ministry, Yeshey Zimba, said they are not able to retain them despite immense need of engineers and architects in the civil service. He said the government is unable to reward good engineers and architects with the present system.
“As you know, power projects are paying double the salary, but in the government, as per our system neither we cannot reward them as we desired based on their capabilities nor we can remove the bad once and since we have lot of civil servants we could look their welfare, I know this hurts them,” the Minister added.
Is salary package the only reason? According to some of the engineers and architects who have already resigned, it is not always the case.
Some engineers and architects refused to come on camera. But most of them cited job dissatisfaction as one of the main reasons. Although they are a professional, they said in the civil service they never get to apply their creativity and skills. Instead they land up doing a lot of administrative work. If ever they get to apply their creativity and skills that too they said is often modified by the boss who is not a professional.
One engineer cited lack of training as another reason. He said in his nine years of service he got to travel only once which is very de-motivating.
To this, the secretary of the Ministry Dasho Dr. Sonam Tenzin, who was on a tour when BBS contacted him, disagreed with the allegations. He said they are allowed to work professionally. He, however,agreed that the engineers and architects have to face a lot of hardships in the civil service.
“The engineering works is always associated with accounting, they have to be accountable, and many of the engineers didn’t get audit clearance for the promotions and because of that their promotions have been held up,” the Secretary said, adding that some of them have also been dragged to courts.
Ugyen Dorji is a senior architect. After serving for 18 years in the civil service he resigned in 2009. Before resigning he served as the officiating Thrimpon for two years.He said that he resigned thinking that he could contribute more working in the private sectors. But he said he resigned as he was left without a work for some time.
After that he was transferred to the Ministry, where he stayed for one year without any work. When he asked for work, he was told he was too qualified for their need. However, he added that it didn’t matter whether he was in the private sector or in the civil service as long as he could contribute to the nation.
“If you are professional, whether you are working in a government or in a private, in either ways you are serving the country. If you feel that you are more comfortable in the private sector, I think it’s good for the country. On other hand; if you feel that you are productive remaining in the government then that’s also good. I don’t know why others are resigning but what I would like to say is, either way country is winning,” he added.
Druba Raj is also an architect who resigned from the civil service. He said he can put to practice his skills and creativity in the important and big government projects.
“I left civil service because there is so much works in the private sectors, not only in the private sectors, even in the government plans and manifestos. It is full of infrastructure projects, which requires engineers and architects and my main reason was to take part in these big projects,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Works and Human Settlement Minister said it is not a big concern as long as engineers and architects work for the country.However, how to retain good engineers and architects in the civil service is still a question.
