J&K govt posts Arun Kumar as VC, Director General of IMPARD

Jammu and Kashmir government today posted the state's senior-most bureaucrat Arun Kumar, as the Vice Chairman and Director General, Institute of Management and Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD).
"Dr Arun Kumar, Financial Commissioner Revenue has been transferred and posted as the Vice Chairman and Director General, Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management and Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD)," an official spokesman said.
Kumar was one of the four contenders for the post of the state's top-bureaucrat and the posting is seen as a bid to mollify him, as the post of the Director General IMPARD has been declared equivalent in status to the IAS Cadre post of Chief Secretary for the period it is held by him.

"The post of the Director General IMPARD has been declared equivalent in status to the IAS Cadre post of Chief Secretary for the period, it is held by Dr. Arun Kumar," the spokesman said.
Superseding four IAS officers, B R Sharma was Monday appointed as the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, a post which had fallen vacant after Iqbal Khanday sought voluntary retirement following differences with Mufti Mohammed Sayeed-led PDP-BJP alliance.
With elevation of Sharma to the top-post in the state, the government had superseded four officers in the cadre - Kumar and his wife Sonali Kumar (both 1979 batch), Khursheed Ahmed Ganai (1982 batch) and A K Angurana (1980 batch).

While Kumar has his services upto December next year, his wife will retire in November this year. Ganai will superannuate in October this year while Angurana is to retire in April next year.