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Monday, March 16, 2015

Over a dozen NC, Congress loyalists shown the door in Mufti government's first administrative reshuffle

●B.R. Sharma becomes the most important bureaucrat after Chief Secretary Khanday.

●PDP loyalists get prize postings; Lateef Deva, Dev Lata, Riyaz Jan selected on merit

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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Jammu, March 16: In partial withdrawal of Governor Narendra Nath Vohra's massive administrative reshuffle two months back, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's PDP-BJP government on Sunday replaced most of the National Conference and Congress loyalists by the officers and bureaucrats perceived to be loyal to the new ruling coalition, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party.

Commissioner - Secretary Revenue Vinod Kaul, whose father and senior Congress leader M.N. Kaul used to be Mufti's mentor in 1960s and 1970s, was of late known for his intimate relationship with top leaders of both NC as well as Congress. Former Chief Secretary and NC's ex-MLC Vijay Bakaya is known to be Kaul's promoter in bureaucracy. Kaul has been removed and placed in queue in General Administration Department for posting. Senior bureaucrats expect him to get another prize posting.

Yet another favourite of the NC-Congress coalition, Satesh Nehru, has been removed from the attractive posting of Secretary Housing & Urban Development to Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution [CAPD]---thought to be inferior when compared to Housing.

Senior IAS officer Suresh Kumar, who functioned as Principal Secretary Home for half of Omar Abdullah's government has been marginalised as DG IMPA. Senior IPS officer Dr B. Srinivas, who held the posting of IG CID for over 4 years of the previous government, has been shifted to the insignificant posting of IG Home Guard.

DC Baramulla Talat Pervez, Secretary Sports Council Daleep Thusu and Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation Kiran Watal, all "famous" for their proximity to senior Congress and NC leaders, have also been removed and put in the GAD queue for further posting.

Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation Dr Ghulam Nabi Qasba, DC Shopian Bashir Ahmad Bhat, who was aggressively promoted by former Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir in the previous regime, DC Kulgam Nisar Hussain Wani and Congress leader Aslam Goni's relative Shehnaz Goni, who was Chief Engineer Maintenance & Rural Electrification (Jammu), have also been removed and given insignificant slots.

Mukhtarul Aziz, known for his association with NC, had been appointed as Director Information in September 2014 reportedly to satisfy the ego of the senior NC leader and former Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, even as Omar Abdullah's government had chosen Soujanya Kumar for this posting in its last administrative reshuffle. Kumar was the choice of the former CM’s Principal Secretary B.B. Vyas.
Aziz also went to a court to protect his posting. In the shake up on Monday, he has been given an insignificant posting in Social Welfare Department.

On the other hand, over a dozen officers closely related to the PDP camp have managed to get prize postings. With an impressive track record, DC Ganderbal Sarmad Hafeez has been appointed as the new Vice Chairman of LAWWDA, the posting seniormost bureaucrats like Wajahat Habibullah held before retirement.

Munirul Islam, who has held a brief stint with Press Information Bureau of the Government of India prior to his joining the Kashmir Administrative Service, has been appointed as the new Director of Information. He was additional DC in Pulwama. He is known for his intimate relationship with a number of journalists.
Additional DC Srinagar Ghulam Mohammad Dar, enjoying good reputation, has been appointed as the new DC of Shopian.

In a significant development, a close relative of Farooq Abdullah’s sister, Tufail Matoo, has been yet again posted as Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, an important post from which he was once unceremoniously removed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in 2009.

POSTINGS ON MERIT

Notwithstanding some appointments merely for political and bureaucratic clout, about a dozen incumbents have been picked up for key assignments on the basis of their merit and reputation. While as Commissioner-Secretary Health & Medical Education Gazanffer Hussain has been appointed as the new Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Dr Pawan Kotwal has been yet again appointed as Divisional Commissioner of Jammu.

B.R. Sharma, who is due to succeed Iqbal Khanday as Chief Secretary on the latter's retirement later this year and enjoys the reputation of being the most straightforward and non-controversial bureaucrat, has been given the additional charge of Principal Secretary Home and CEO of Economic Reconstruction Agency. He is currently Financial Commissioner Planning & Development.
Again on the basis of merit, Sharma's sister Dev Lata has been appointed as the new Chairperson of State Services Recruitment Board which is being refurbished with appointment of new members soon.

People of the State have particularly appreciated the appointment of Lateef-uz-Zamaan Deva as the Chairman of Public Service Commission as also that of Munshi Muzaffar and Indu Kelam as members. All the three are famous for their honesty and integrity. Deva has been picked up for the most important posting after Chief Secretary, inspite of the being the son of the National Conference stalwart late Abdul Salam Deva who defeated Mufti in Assembly elections in 1970s and 1980s.

Appointment of the senior advocate Reyaz Ahmad Jan as Advocate General and that of Soujanya Kumar as Commissioner JMC has also been widely appreciated.

In the concurrent reshuffle in Police, Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani has been appointed as the new IGP of Kashmir and Dinesh Rana as IGP Jammu. Gillani is closely related to three Cabinet Ministers and a powerful family but sources in bureaucracy insist that his appointment was the result of his impressive service record. He has served as SSP Srinagar and DIG CBI before his repatriation to J&K in 2012 when he was appointed as IGP Crime. Gillani has the reputation of a no-nonsense police officer.

IGP Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir has been given the all-important posting of IG CID while as another influential officer Munir Khan has been appointed as IG Crime. JP Singh has been appointed as IG Traffic.

END

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