Politics

Deputy CM Questions Central Decision on Chief Secretary Extension

By Arun Sharma

Jammu and Kashmir’s Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary asked on Saturday why the Central government did not grant an extension to Atal Dulloo, a 1992‑batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer who retired as the Union Territory’s Chief Secretary on October 31. "When officials in other parts of the country had been given extensions, why was the same not granted to Atal Dulloo Sahib?" he asked. "Is it because he belonged to Jammu and Kashmir?" Choudhary added, suggesting that a local successor should have been appointed. He said, "If you did not want to give extension to Atal Dulloo Sahib, then you should have appointed some local, a son of the soil, whether a Hindu or a Muslim, as his successor." He questioned whether the BJP had said anything about the decision and accused the ruling party at the Centre and a section of the media of focusing only on news about the National Conference (NC). Choudhary asked whether the lack of an extension would help progress, development, local youth employment or regularise daily wagers. Atal Dulloo, a Kashmiri Pandit, was succeeded by Dr Sajjan Singh Yadav. After paying obeisance at Bawe Wali Mata temple in Jammu, Choudhary expressed unhappiness that local BJP leaders and a section of the media repeatedly report discontent among NC MLAs, urging them to move on. He said the MLAs were satisfied after meeting with party president Dr Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday, a fact he noted was evident from their expressions and statements. Choudhary said that when his leader, the NC president, and the chief minister discussed the matter with all the MLAs, the issue was resolved. He criticised the BJP and some media for maintaining an atmosphere in which public issues are not addressed. He asked media to work honestly and raise issues that actually concern the people of J&K, noting that many big issues such as statehood are not discussed. Choudhary, who defeated former BJP president Ravinder Raina in the Nowshera Assembly constituency, is considered the ruling party’s key face in the Hindu‑dominated Jammu region. The BJP won 29 of the 45 assembly seats in the 2024 elections. With NC attempting to regain its foothold in areas of Jammu that are considered BJP bastions, Choudhary has faced repeated targeting from opposition leaders.