The engineers are protesting against the suspension of seven engineers allegedly for delaying work under the Manyawar Shree Kanshiramji Shahri Gareeb Awaas Yojna.

Engineers had earlier decided to cease work from Saturday in all 51 districts of the state, where UPHDB has to construct over 70,000 houses till March 31. After a meeting with Housing Commissioner Deepak Kumar on Friday, the association has decided to give a one-week notice to the state government for reinstating the suspended engineers and fulfil their other demands.

General Secretary of the UP Housing Board Engineers Association, Gyaneshwar Prasad, said: “The housing commissioner has assured us that he would consider our demand to reinstate the suspended engineers and also extend the deadline for completing the construction of the houses.”

“If, however, our demands are not met in a week, construction will be stopped in all 51 districts from January 31,” he added.

The Housing Board authorities, however, seemed to be in no mood to spare any engineer who had a lackadaisacal attitude towards the execution of the state government’s scheme.

Housing Commissioner Deepak Kumar said: “Departmental action will continue against all the seven suspended engineers. All of them have been asked to reply to the notice. Further decision to reinstate them or take stricter action would be taken only after going through their reply.”

Earlier, in a press conference, executive engineer Vineet Singhal, who was suspended on similar charges while working in Farrukhabad had said, “My suspension was wrong as the district administration had failed to provide us land on time. Hence, work was delayed. The situation is similar in the case of other engineers too.”