HN NEWS DESK

In a sweeping administrative shake-up, the Lieutenant Governor-led Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday ordered a major administrative reshuffle involving 49 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) officers with immediate effect.

The key appointments see Mamta Yadav, IAS, being posted as Director, Information, J&K, while Vikas Kundal, IAS, takes charge as the new Divisional Commissioner of Jammu. Meanwhile, Basharat Qayoom, IAS, has been appointed as Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).

Key Top-Level Postings & Additional Responsibilities

As per the official order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), several senior officers have been reassigned or given crucial additional portfolios:

• Shaleen Kabra, IAS (AGMUT: 1992): Financial Commissioner (ACS), Jal Shakti Department (holding additional charge of Financial Commissioner, Revenue, J&K and Administrative Secretary, Estates Department), shall also hold additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Revenue Department, relieving Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, IAS.
• Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma, IAS (AGMUT: 1994):Transferred from Tourism Department and posted as Financial Commissioner (ACS), Agriculture Production Department.
• Sarmad Hafeez, IAS (AGMUT: 2009): Transferred from Social Welfare Department and posted as Commissioner/Secretary, Youth Services and Sports Department.
• Ramesh Kumar, IAS (AGMUT: 2011): Transferred from Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and posted as Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He will hold additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Culture Department, and continue as Resident Commissioner, J&K Govt., New Delhi.
• Naveen S L, IAS (AGMUT: 2012): Transferred from Secretary, Civil Aviation Department, and posted as Commissioner of Enquiries, J&K.
• Avny Lavasa, IAS (AGMUT: 2013): Transferred from Transport Department and posted as Secretary, Tourism Department, while retaining charge of Administrative Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department.
• Anjali Sehrawat, IAS (AGMUT: 2013): Transferred from Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, and posted as Secretary, Public Grievances Department.

New Divisional Commissioner Jammu & Key Administrative Heads

“The restructuring aims to overhaul key administrative departments and streamline local governance across both Jammu and Kashmir divisions,” noted official sources quoting the order copy.

• Vikas Kundal, IAS (AGMUT: 2013): Transferred from Chairman, J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB), and posted as Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, with additional charge as Additional CEO, Jammu Metropolitan Regional Development Authority.
• Majid Khalil Ahmad Drabu, IAS (AGMUT: 2013): Transferred from Commissioner of Enquiries, J&K, and posted as Inspector General of Registration, J&K, relieving Dr. Sagar Doifode Dattatray, IAS.
• Rahul Yadav, IAS (AGMUT: 2014): Transferred from MD, J&K Power Development Corporation Limited, and posted as Administrative Secretary, Information Technology Department (relieving Saurabh Bhagat, IAS), while retaining charge of MD, JKPDCL.
• Owais Ahmed, IAS (AGMUT: 2014): Posted as Administrative Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring Department, with additional charge of Director, Skill Development J&K.
• Dr. Sagar Doifode Dattatray, IAS (AGMUT: 2014): Posted as Administrative Secretary, Social Welfare Department.
• Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, IAS (AGMUT: 2016): Transferred from DC Kupwara and posted as Chairman, J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB).
• Mamta Yadav, IAS (AGMUT: 2021): Awaiting orders of posting in GAD, posted as Director, Information, J&K.

Major Rejig Across Deputy Commissioners (DCs)

Several districts across Jammu and Kashmir have received new Deputy Commissioners under the order:

Officer Name & Cadre	Previous Posting	New Posting / Responsibility
Minga Sherpa, IAS (AGMUT: 2017)	Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur	Deputy Commissioner, Jammu
Dr. Devansh Yadav, IAS (AGMUT: 2016)	Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation	Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri
Abhishek Sharma, IAS (CG: 2018)	Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri	Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara
Rupesh Kumar, IAS (AGMUT: 2019)	Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority	Deputy Commissioner, Samba
Jatin Kishore, IAS (AGMUT: 2020)	Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal	Deputy Commissioner, Budgam
M Shreya Singhal, IAS (AGMUT: 2020)	MD, J&K Tourism Development Corporation	Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal
Ananth Dwivedi, IAS (AGMUT: 2021)	CEO, State Health Agency, J&K	Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur
Kuldeep Krishan Sidha, JKAS	Director, J&K Archives, Archaeology & Museums	Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama
Charandeep Singh, JKAS	Labour Commissioner, J&K	Deputy Commissioner, Shopian

Urban Local Bodies & Health Sector Reassignments

• Basharat Qayoom, IAS (JH: 2016): Transferred from DC Pulwama and posted as Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), with additional charge as CEO, SPV Srinagar Smart City Project.
• Ayushi Sudan, IAS (AGMUT: 2017): Transferred from DC Samba and posted as Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), with additional charge of CEO, SPV Jammu City and Mission Director, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
• Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan, IAS (RJ: 2016): Transferred from DC Budgam and posted as Managing Director, National Health Mission (NHM), J&K.
• Rakesh Minhas, IAS (AGMUT: 2016): Transferred from DC Jammu and posted as CEO, State Health Agency, J&K, with additional charge of MD, Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission.
• Akriti Sagar, IAS (AGMUT: 2016): Transferred from MD, NHM J&K, and posted as MD, J&K Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), with additional charge of CEO, J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA).

Other Key Postings (IAS & JKAS)

• Faz Lul Haseeb, IAS (AGMUT: 2018): Posted as Additional Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, with additional charge as Mission Director HADP and JKCIP.
• Mahima Madan, IAS (AGMUT: 2021): Posted as Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC), Anantnag.
• Vidhu Shekhar, IAS (AGMUT: 2021): Posted as Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority (JDA).
• Pranjal Hazarika, IAS (AGMUT: 2021): Posted as Director, J&K Archives, Archaeology and Museums.
• Vivek Agarwal, IAS (AGMUT: 2021):Posted as Director, Employment, J&K, with additional charge as CEO, Mission YUVA.
• Ishita Rathi, IAS (AGMUT: 2022):Posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Jammu, vice Vidhu Shekhar, IAS.
• Vikas Ahlawat, IAS (AGMUT: 2022):Posted as Labour Commissioner, J&K.
• Prince Kumar, IAS (AGMUT: 2023):Posted as OSD, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).
• Gaurav Yadav, IAS (AGMUT: 2024):Posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Uri.
• Seerat Baji, IAS (AGMUT: 2024):Posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Srinagar (West).
• Leena Padha, IAS (AGMUT): Posted as Registrar, Cooperative Societies, J&K, vice Md. Shafiq Chak, who reports to GAD for further posting.
• Rajinder Singh Tara, IAS (AGMUT):Posted as Secretary in the Revenue Department.
• Anoo Malhotra, IAS (AGMUT):Posted as Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission.

JKAS Officers Transfers:

• Rakesh Kumar, JKAS:Posted as Special Secretary, Lok Bhawan.
• Sachin Jamwal, JKAS:Posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Kathua.
• Sushil Kesar, JKAS:Posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Reasi.
• Irfan Bahadur, JKAS:Posted as Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), Budgam.
• Afroza Bano, JKAS: Relieved as ACR Budgam, instructed to await further posting orders in GAD.