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Srinagar, Apr 22 (UNI) A Jammu and Kashmir government's policy to grant extension to some ''selected'' retiring officials has drawn flak from various quarters and resulted in growing unrest among the employees who claimed that the move will add to the ever-increasing unemployment problem in the state.

A delegation of Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited, a profit- making public sector undertaking, said the state government had recently re-appointed the corporation's Managing Director Mian Mushtaq Ahmed for a further period of one year from February 27, 2007 after he was granted an extension of one year following his attaining the age of supperannuation on February 28, last year.

The delegation members requested anonymity.

''The grant of extension to retiring officials has become a precedent in our organisation. More than six officials of Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited have already been granted an extension in service for two years,'' the employees said.

They said the General Manager of the corporation, Bashir Ahmed Rather, was attaining the age of supperannuation on April 30 this year, but the case of his re-employment-cum-extension in service was already under process in the Civil Secretariat.

The delegation alleged that the General Manager was being granted extension or reemployed in service on the basis of the Managing Director's recommendations to ''utilise his services'' in some new projects being undertaken by Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited.

The projects included construction of a new plant having a capacity of producing additional 600 tonnes of cement.

The Rs 100-crore project has been allotted on turn-key basis to Promac company which would finally hand over the duly commissioned plant to Jammu and Kashmir Cements.

The delegation said the PSU has no role in the construction, erection and commissioning of the project.

''The extensions are being given on the pretext of the new project. The officials dealing with the project are not the technical experts. The present General Manager, being a chemical engineer, is not technically qualified for supervising the project,'' the employees alleged.

The delegation also said that a junior engineer (now assistant engineer) was sent to Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited on deputation from the Mechanical Engineering wing of the state government to use his services in the new project.

''But, the official is posted at the headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited. He is dealing with marketing and sales of the PSU and not associated with the new project,'' they said.

The delegation said the move was resulting in growing unrest among the employees and would add to the ever-increasing unemployment problem in the state.

''The move affects juniors the most. The second rung of administration is not being developed. The move also results in disinterest among the employees, thus affecting the overall performance of the organisation,'' it said.

The delegation said former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had once described Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited as ''Jewel in the Crown'' of the state and asked other PSUs to follow the example.

''The organisation had become a profit-making PSU and is surviving only because of the dedication and untiring efforts of hundreds of its employees,'' it said.

UNI