BR Sharma tipped to be new J&K Chief Secretary

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Aug 25: Brij Raj Sharma, a son of soil and IAS officer of 1984 batch, is tipped to be the new Chief Secretary in Jammu and Kashmir government as some of his seniors in the hierarchy are already holding the posting of Secretary in Government of India and others are left with just a few months of service.

Besides, Mr Sharma is one of the few senior bureaucrats who has neither associated himself with any bureaucratic lobby or political party nor landed into any controversy in his 31-year-long service career.

Sharma’s officiating as cabinet secretary in the meeting on August 21 was an indication that he was being treated by Chief Minister and his Cabinet as next only to Chief Secretary Iqbal Khanday.

Informed sources revealed to STATE Times that Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed would return to Srinagar from his weeklong tour of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and some other places on September 1^st and accept Mr Khanday’s application for his voluntary retirement from service. He was currently in Mumbai.

In seniority, Mr Sharma, who is currently designated as Principal Secretary and posted as administrative secretary of Planning & Development Department, figures at serial number 6 after Iqbal Khanday (IAS-1978), Arun Kumar and Sonali Kumar (IAS-1979), Ashok Kumar Angurana (IAS-1980 and Khursheed Ahmad Ganai (IAS-1982).

However, BR Sharma has the conditions in his favour as Arun Kumar is currently designated as Financial Commissioner Revenue and stands posted outside Civil Secretariat. He is left with only 16 months of service. Besides, his appointment as CS has a potential of generating a political controversy as the opposition National Conference could seek to corner PDP while raking up the history of 2008 Amarnath land row which had been triggered off with Arun Kumar’s statement that had hurt the sentiments of Muslims. Kumar had asked why nobody was raising a question over the “pollution” dropped by millions of pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia every year.

He was restored to his seat by Omar Abdullah after being off the scene for about three years.

Arun Kumar’s wife Sonali Kumar (IAS-1979) is also due to retire on November 30, 2015. She is left with just three months of service. Placed outside Civil Secretariat, Sonali is currently Chairperson J&K Special Tribunal.

Ashok Kumar Angura, who is due to reach superannuation on April 30, 2016, is currently posted as Secretary Panchayati Raj in Government of India and thus unlikely to be willing to return to his State.

Khursheed Ahmad Ganai is Mr Sharma’s only impediment as he is holding the rank equal to Chief Secretary and his posted within Civil Secretariat as FC Industries. However, he too is left with just four months of service as he is due to retire on October 31, 2015.

Mr Sharma has also age on his side. Born in April 1960, he is due to reach superannuation on April 30, 2020. If appointed Mr Khanday’s successor, Mr Sharma could have the longest tenure of almost five years as Chief Secretary.

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