India

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Orders Transfers of Six Senior IAS Officers Ahead of New Chief Secretary

By Arun Sharma

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the transfer and reassignment of six senior IAS officers on Sunday. The moves come a day before Sajjan Singh Yadav, a 1995‑batch AGMUT cadre officer, will take charge as the new Chief Secretary after C S Atal Dulloo retired on October 31.

IAS officer Shaleen Kabra, a 1992‑batch AGMUT‑cadre officer, has been posted as Director General of the Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration & Rural Development, moving from his previous role in the Jal Shakti Department. Kabra had served as Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) of the Jal Shakti Department and held additional charges as Financial Commissioner Revenue, J&K; Administrative Secretary, Estates Department; and Administrative Secretary Revenue Department.

Rehana Batul, a 2010‑batch IAS officer who was Director General of the Institute of Management, Public Administration & Rural Development, has been appointed Commissioner‑Secretary of the Tribal Affairs Department. She relieved Secretary Tourism Avny Lavasa, who will now hold the additional charge of Administrative Secretary Revenue Department.

Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Home Chandraker Bharti, a 1996‑batch AGMUT‑cadre officer, has been given the additional charge of Financial Commissioner Revenue, J&K.

M Raju, a 1995‑batch IAS officer holding additional charges as Administrative Secretary, Hospitality & Protocol and Administrative Secretary, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, will also take on the charge of Administrative Secretary Estates Department.

Saugat Biswasm, a 2006‑batch IAS officer and Commissioner‑Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department, will hold the additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Jal Shakti Department.

Earlier, the government had transferred two IAS officers—Ashwani Kumar and Dr Ashish Chandra Verma—to Delhi. Kumar, a 1992‑batch officer, was posted as Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) of the Power Development Department, while Verma, a 1994‑batch officer, was posted as Financial Commissioner (ACS) of the Agriculture Production Department.

Several senior bureaucrats in the Union Territory’s administration outrank Yadav. Dheeraj Gupta, a 1993‑batch IAS officer serving as Additional Chief Secretary to CM Omar Abdullah, will not report to Yadav. Two other ACS‑rank officers—Shailendra Kumar and Anil Kumar Singh—are both from the 1995 batch; Kumar is Financial Commissioner, Finance, and Singh is Financial Commissioner, PWD (R&B).