Major administrative reshuffle in Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government Monday ordered a major administrative reshuffle in state administration, transferring several senior IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and KAS (Kashmir Administrative Service) officers.

The decision was taken by the cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Raj Kumar Goyal, returning from central deputation, has been posted as principal secretary, home, while Dheeraj Gupta, also returning from the centre, has been posted as commissioner, relief and rehabilitation. He shall also be CEO, Project Monitoring Unit of the World Bank Project.

Asgar Hassan Samoon, commissioner, agriculture production, has been transferred and posted as divisional commissioner, Kashmir, replacing Gazzanfar Hussain, who will take over as secretary of the general administration department.

Navin Kumar Choudhary, also returning from the centre, has been posted as secretary, finance.

Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, will be the new secretary, health and medical education, replacing Shantmanu who will await posting. Bhandari will be replaced by Ajeet Kumar Sahu, currently the deputy commissioner, Jammu.

Simrandeep Singh, director, school education, Jammu, will be the new deputy commissioner of Jammu.

Among others shifted are the deputy commissioners of Kathua, Poonch, and Udhampur.