BR Sharma appointed as J&K Chief Secretary

[Published in today's State Times http://news.statetimes.in/br-sharma-appointed-as-jammu-kashmir-chief-secretary/]

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
--------------
SRINAGAR, Sep 7: Son of the soil bureaucrat and 1984-batch IAS officer Brij Raj Sharma assumed charge as Chief Secretary in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir shortly after his appointment was sanctioned by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s Cabinet on Monday.

Following Mr Khanday’s application for voluntary retirement, STATE TIMES had categorically and exclusively reported in its issue of August 26 and again in today's edition that none other than Mr B.R. Sharma would be appointed as the next Chief Secretary. It had reported that unlike on August 21, Commissioner-Secretary General Administration Department Gazzanfer Hussain would attend Monday's meeting as Cabinet Secretary in absence of Chief Secretary. On August 21, Mr Sharma had functioned as Cabinet Secretary in Mr Khanday’s absence.

Fifty-five-year-old Sharma superseded four of his seniors---Arun Kumar and Sonali Kumar (1979), Ashok Kumar Angura (1980) and Khursheed Ahmad Ganai ( 1982)---even as Mr Ganai is likely to be shifted as Director General of Institute of Management and Public Administration (IMPA) in the next Cabinet meeting. Currently posted as Financial Commissioner Industries, Ganai is the only administrative secretary of a department functioning directly under Chief Secretary junior to him in IAS by two years. However, he has less than two months to his retirement from service.

Other three of Mr Sharma’s seniors being out of the bureaucratic hierarchy need not to be relocated to fresh postings. Mr Kumar, who is left with 16 months of service, is currently posted as Financial Commissioner Revenue outside Civil Secretariat while as Mrs Kumar, who is reaching superannuation on November 30, is functioning as Chairperson of the autonomous Jammu and Kashmir Special Tribunal. Mr Angurana, due to retire on April 30, 2016, is currently a full-fledged Secretary in Government of India.

The Cabinet meeting, which lasted for around 40 minutes and was presided over by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, took a unanimous decision to appoint Mr Sharma as the next head of the State bureaucracy after confirming Mr Iqbal Khandey’s voluntary retirement three months ahead of his date of superannuation.

The Cabinet also placed on record its appreciation for the "honesty, integrity, administrative acumen and remarkable contribution of Iqbal Khandey, in various capacities, towards development of the State", an official release said. It said that Mufti recalled with appreciation Khandey's performance as his Principal Secretary during his previous tenure as the Chief Minister.

Administrative secretaries of different departments, senior officers and secretariat employees called on Mr Sharma and felicitated him on assuming office of the Chief Secretary.

In his 31-year-long IAS career, Mr Sharma has held various important positions in the State administrations including Principal Secretary Home, Principal Secretary Planning and Development, J&K's Chief Electoral Officer, Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Deputy Commissioner of Kathua and Kupwara, Director School Education Jammu and Excise Commissioner.

With an unblemished service profile, that finally earned him the distinction of becoming the State’s youngest Chief Secretary post-1990, Mr Sharma is widely respected and known for his honesty, integrity and dedication to public service. He has also the distinction of being one of the most nonaligned and uncontroversial bureaucrats with no regional or religious prejudices.

As reported by STATE TIMES, PDP and BJP had consensus over Mr Sharma’s appointment and both the principal opposition parties, National Conference and Conference, seemed to be not averse to his elevation to the hot seat. J&K Pradesh Congress Committee head Ghulam Ahmad Mir had told this newspaper last evening that his party would welcome Mr Sharma as the next Chief Secretary.

"We are aware that Mr Sharma and his family members attended Narendra Modi's Lalkar Rally in Jammu on December 1, 2013. But we know that he is a fairly professional and nonaligned public servant", Mir had said.

END

BR Sharma appointed as J&K Chief Secretary

[Published in today's StaBraje Times http://news.statetimes.in/br-sharma-appointed-as-jammu-kashmir-chief-secretary/]

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
--------------
SRINAGAR, Sep 7: Son of the soil bureaucrat and 1984-batch IAS officer Braj Raj Sharma assumed charge as Chief Secretary in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir shortly after his appointment was sanctioned by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s Cabinet on Monday.

Following Mr Khanday’s application for voluntary retirement, STATE TIMES had categorically and exclusively reported in its issue of August 26 and again in today's edition that none other than Mr B.R. Sharma would be appointed as the next Chief Secretary. It had reported that unlike on August 21, Commissioner-Secretary General Administration Department Gazzanfer Hussain would attend Monday's meeting as Cabinet Secretary in absence of Chief Secretary. On August 21, Mr Sharma had functioned as Cabinet Secretary in Mr Khanday’s absence.

Fifty-five-year-old Sharma superseded four of his seniors---Arun Kumar and Sonali Kumar (1979), Ashok Kumar Angura (1980) and Khursheed Ahmad Ganai ( 1982)---even as Mr Ganai is likely to be shifted as Director General of Institute of Management and Public Administration (IMPA) in the next Cabinet meeting. Currently posted as Financial Commissioner Industries, Ganai is the only administrative secretary of a department functioning directly under Chief Secretary junior to him in IAS by two years. However, he has less than two months to his retirement from service.

Other three of Mr Sharma’s seniors being out of the bureaucratic hierarchy need not to be relocated to fresh postings. Mr Kumar, who is left with 16 months of service, is currently posted as Financial Commissioner Revenue outside Civil Secretariat while as Mrs Kumar, who is reaching superannuation on November 30, is functioning as Chairperson of the autonomous Jammu and Kashmir Special Tribunal. Mr Angurana, due to retire on April 30, 2016, is currently a full-fledged Secretary in Government of India.

The Cabinet meeting, which lasted for around 40 minutes and was presided over by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, took a unanimous decision to appoint Mr Sharma as the next head of the State bureaucracy after confirming Mr Iqbal Khandey’s voluntary retirement three months ahead of his date of superannuation.

The Cabinet also placed on record its appreciation for the "honesty, integrity, administrative acumen and remarkable contribution of Iqbal Khandey, in various capacities, towards development of the State", an official release said. It said that Mufti recalled with appreciation Khandey's performance as his Principal Secretary during his previous tenure as the Chief Minister.

Administrative secretaries of different departments, senior officers and secretariat employees called on Mr Sharma and felicitated him on assuming office of the Chief Secretary.

In his 31-year-long IAS career, Mr Sharma has held various important positions in the State administrations including Principal Secretary Home, Principal Secretary Planning and Development, J&K's Chief Electoral Officer, Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Deputy Commissioner of Kathua and Kupwara, Director School Education Jammu and Excise Commissioner.

With an unblemished service profile, that finally earned him the distinction of becoming the State’s youngest Chief Secretary post-1990, Mr Sharma is widely respected and known for his honesty, integrity and dedication to public service. He has also the distinction of being one of the most nonaligned and uncontroversial bureaucrats with no regional or religious prejudices.

As reported by STATE TIMES, PDP and BJP had consensus over Mr Sharma’s appointment and both the principal opposition parties, National Conference and Conference, seemed to be not averse to his elevation to the hot seat. J&K Pradesh Congress Committee head Ghulam Ahmad Mir had told this newspaper last evening that his party would welcome Mr Sharma as the next Chief Secretary.

"We are aware that Mr Sharma and his family members attended Narendra Modi's Lalkar Rally in Jammu on December 1, 2013. But we know that he is a fairly professional and nonaligned public servant", Mir had said.

END

BR Sharma being appointed as Chief Secretary today

Political parties across the board support a State subject who has been the most nonaligned and uncontroversial bureaucrat throughout his IAS career

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

_______

SRINAGAR, Sep 6: Principal Secretary Planning & Development, a son of the soil in bureaucracy and the 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Brij Raj Sharma, is tipped to be appointed as Chief Secretary in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, following the 1978-batch IAS officer Mohammad Iqbal Khandey’s differences with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and some Cabinet Ministers that culminated into his voluntary retirement.

Chief Minister is scheduled to preside over a crucial meeting of his Cabinet in the forenoon on Monday that would take a call on selection of the next Chief Secretary. Even as the Cabinet would hold a brief discussion on the five seniormost IAS officers---four of them holding rank equivalent to that of Chief Secretary---highly placed sources in the PDP-BJP government revealed to STATE TIMES that there was “total consensus” on the nomination of Mr B.R. Sharma between the coalition partners.

More significantly, both the principal opposition parties, National Conference and Congress, have made it clear with their sustained silence publicly and private conversations in the last over a week that neither of them would oppose picking up the juniormost of the panel for a host of reasons.

Of the four IAS officers senior to Mr Sharma, Financial Commissioner Revenue and the 1979-batch IAS officer Dr Arun Kumar is the only potential contender as he alone has 16 months of his active service. “He is definitely a diligent IAS officer but two particular factors will go against him: A PDP-led coalition will essentially prefer a State subject and Dr Kumar is from outside; Nobody would run the risk of making him CS in a Muslim-dominated State as he has a negative baggage from the communal strife of 2008 attached to him”, said a Cabinet Minister about Dr Kumar.

The second in the row, Dr Kumar’s wife and 1979 IAS batch-mate, Sonali Kumar, has less than three months to her superannuation. She is currently posted as Chairperson of Jammu and Kashmir Special Tribunal. A network of the State bureaucrats promoted by Mr Khandey is calling the shots even after his retirement and this lobby has been virulently against Mr and Mrs Kumar for over a decade.

The third in the row and the 1980-batck IAS officer, Ashok Kumar Angurana, has only 8 months of his active service and would not ordinarily prefer to return to his State as he is already posted as Secretary (Panchayati Raj Institutions) in the Government of India.

The fourth seniormost State bureaucrat and 1982-batch IAS officer, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai, is apparently a hard contender but he is due to retire from active service on October 31, 2015. Besides, Chief Minister Mufti has not favoured him for Chairmanship of the prestigious Public Service Commission. Currently posted as Financial Commissioner Industries, Mr Ganai would have to be appointed as DG IMPA in case Cabinet decides to pick up his junior for the seniormost position of Chief Secretary.

Sources revealed that a top government functionary was likely to take the opposition parties NC and Congress on board for Mr Sharma’s appointment. However, nobody by this evening had established contact with the opposition. While the NC President Omar Abdullah’s phone was continuously switched off, Congress legislature party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora did not respond to calls from this newspaper.

President of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee and former Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir, told STATE TIMES that his party would not oppose B.R. Sharma’s appointment as CS. “He has been undoubtedly the most non-controversial and non-aligned IAS officer and popular equally among all political parties. Besides, he is the only one in the lot who has about five years of service left to his retirement. His being a son of the soil and a resident of Jammu will also go to his advantage”, Mir asserted.

“Seniority is a qualification but a couple of Mr Sharma’s seniors have been pretty controversial. It will be difficult for any government to pick them up for the post of CS. But if the PDP-BJP government goes by the seniority alone, we won’t object”, Mir added. He said that “seniority and suitability” is an indispensable combination in the selection of senior officers like CS and DGP. “Someone who has just a few months to retire, doesn’t take much interest in implementation of the government directions. One seldom delivers at the fag end of service”, Mir said.

A senior NC leader, who wished to remain unidentified, pointed out that even when C Phonsog and B.R. Kundal were appointed as Chief Secretary by the former PDP-Congress government, “suitability” had prevailed over seniority.

That all decks have been cleared for Mr Sharma’s appointment as CS was clear on Sunday evening from the fact that, unlike on August 21, he was not appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Monday’s meeting.

Top level sources in the government told STATE TIMES that Commissioner-Secretary General Administration Department, Gazanfer Hussain, would function as Cabinet Secretary in tomorrow’s meeting. “This is a clear indication that Mr Sharma is the coalition government’s choice by consensus”, said a senior government functionary. “Someone, whose appointment or elevation is to be considered by the Cabinet, can’t attend that particular meeting as Cabinet Secretary”.

In absence of Mr Khandey, Mr Sharma had attended the August 21 meeting as Cabinet Secretary.

END

Four Pak militants, soldier killed in Handwara encounter

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

______

SRINAGAR, Sep 3: Four militants, claimed to be the Pakistani cadres of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, as also a soldier, have got killed in the overnight operation of Police and security forces in Vilgam area of Handwara in northern Kashmir on Thursday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police for North Kashmir, Gareeb Das, told STATE TIMES that a group of four Pakistani militants of LeT was ambushed and wiped out by Police and security forces when it was on way to Socahlwari village in Hafruda forest area of Vilgam, Handwara. He said that the operation was launched by Army, CRPF and SOG Handwara after receiving specific information about the group’s movement to a hideout in Sochalwari village on Thursday evening.

DIG said that heavy exchange of gunfire took place between the militants and the security forces on the banks of a stream. One soldier of Special Force (9 Para), identified as Mohan Nath Goswami, was critically wounded. He was evacuated but later died at hospital. “During the search on Friday morning, troops spotted and seized bodies of four heavily armed militants, along with a quantity of arms and ammunition including four AK rifles”, DIG said. He asserted that it was a group of the LeT militants operating in Hafruda forest cover.

Defence sources said that Army used Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone) to track the group’s movement. “It was completely wiped out with surgical precision even as we lost one of our para commandos and three more soldiers sustained injuries”, said an officer.

With Thursday’s operation, Police and security forces have neutralised as many as 10 militants in the last 9 days in northern Kashmir. On August 26, a group of four Pakistani militants of LeT was intercepted in Bijhama area of Uri. One militant died in the encounter but four militants managed to escape. They were continuously tracked till they fell in the Army trap in Hamam Markot area of Rafiabad. Three more of the group were killed in the second encounter and one more, who later identified himself as Sajad of Punjab, Pakistan, was captured alive.

Chief Judicial Magisterial of Sopore today remanded Sajad to Police custody till September 10.

On September 2, one local militant of Lashkar-e-Islam, identified as Riyaz Ahmad Mir, was killed in an encounter with Police and security forces at Ladoora in Rafiabad area.

In the third successive operation on September 3, Police and security forces claimed to have killed four Pakistani cadres of LeT, while losing one soldier.   

END

Lashkar-e-Islam militant, soldier killed in Sopore encounter

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

_____

SRINAGAR, Sep 2: One of the prominent militants of Lashkar-e-Islam, Hizbul Mujahideen’s breakaway faction that spread terror with a chain of attacks on the people associated with mobile telephone operations in Kashmir earlier this year, besides a soldier died in a daylong gunfight in Sopore area of northern Kashmir on Wednesday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police for North Kashmir, Gareeb Das, told STATE TIMES that the LeI terror Riyaz Ahmad Mir alias Gosha, a resident of Brat Kalan neighbourhood of Sopore, got killed when troops of Rashtriya Rifles 32 Bn, CRPF and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police brought down his hideout at the house of one Ghulam-ud-din Ganai at Ladoora with IEDs , 5 Km from Sopore. He said that earlier in the day, two soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles sustained injuries. One of them succumbed to injuries at hospital.

DIG said that according to the specific information there were one to two militants present at the hideout when SOG and Army launched the cordon-and-search operation in the morning. “There were inputs about the possible presence of the top wanted LeI terror Imtiyaz Kandoo. But, we are not sure whether he gave the forces a slip and escaped or was not hiding there when Police and security forces swooped on the hideout”, DIG said. He said that three AK-47 rifles and a quantity of other arms and ammunition was recovered from the debris the destroyed hideout.

Official sources here insisted that the operation was launched on the source information of SOG Srinagar. As soon one soldier entered the hideout, the lonely militant fired a burst of AK-47 rifle. Critically wounded, the soldier was evacuated and rushed to hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Residents of the area claimed that Riyaz alias Rizwan was associated with Hizbul Mujahideen and he was not part of the breakaway group formed by the rebel Qayoom Najar. However, DIG Gareeb Das disclosed that the slain militant had been spotted more than once lately in the company of LeI guerrillas Imtiyaz Kandoo, Meraj Halwai, Adil Mir and others of the group. At least once recently, he had been spotted with the LeI head Qayoom Najar. He said that Riyaz was wanted in the assassination of a Sarpanch and the murder of five others associated with mobile telephone operations. Before his shifting to LeI, Riyaz was active as a militant with Hizbul Mujahideen.

According to the Police records, Riyaz, along Mehraj Halwai and Adil Mir, shot dead Bomai Sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Bhat at Bomai on December 20, 2014. FIR No: 93/2014 under section 302 RPCand 7/27 Indian Arms Act was lodged in police station Bomai. He was allegedly involved in causing a grenade blast in Dangerpora orchards in which three civilians got killed. FIR No: 167/2014 dated 12-10-2014 stood registered against him and others.

Riyaz, 32, was allegedly involved in grenade attack on police and Army at Kupwara crossing. On 21-02 -2014, he killed one civilian Waseem Malla s/o Mehrajuddin Malla r/o Bagh I Islam. FIR no 25/2014 under section 302 RPC, 7/27 Indian Arms Acount Act dated 21-02-2014 stands registered in Tarzoo Police Station. On May 25, Riyaz Riyaz Was allegedly involved in the assassination of Mohammad Rafiq r/o Pohrupeth Handwara resulting in registration of case FIR no 103/2015 under section 302 and 307 RPC and 7/27 Indian Arms Act against him at Sopore. Slain guerrilla was also involved.

He was also allegedly involved in terrorising landlords of mobile towers resulting in registration of FIR No: 100/2015 u/s 7/27, 506 RPC with Police Station Sopore. On August 26, Riyaz and Adil Mir allegedly killed a mobile phone operator Ghulam Hassan of Dooru, Sopore. FIR No: 105/ 2015 u/s 302 RPC and 7/27 Indian Arms Act stand registered with Police Station Sopore.

 Riyaz was also allegedly involved in killing of one Hurriyat activist Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman of Iqbal Nagar, Sopore bus stand, on June 9, 2015. FIR no 115/2015 dated 09-06-2015 stands registered with  Police Station Sopore.  He was also allegedly involved in the killing of one Hurriyat activist Khursheed Ahmed Bhat s/o Gh Nabi Bhat r/o Bomai Sopore outside his home on 9-06-2015. FIR no 36/2015 dated 12 -06- 2015 stands registered with Police Station Bomai. 

He was involved in the killing of one former militant Mehrajuddin Dar s/o Mohammad Ahsan Dar r/o Badambagh Sopore on 14 -06-2015.  He was also involved in the killing of former militant Aijaz Ahmad Reshi s/o Ab Rahim Reshi s/o Mundji sopore on 15-06-2015.

Encounter in Handwara

Meanwhile, late on Wednesday night, another gunbattle started between militants and security forces at Socahlwari, in Vilgam area of Handwara Police district. One militant and one soldier died. Another soldier injured.

END

Govt, PDP mute to reports of Mufti's 'health problem'

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
_______

SRINAGAR, Aug 31: Even as the social media, including a section of the regular media, remained abuzz with reports of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s "health problem" on Monday, the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the State government chose to remain mute spectators.

Reports suggesting imminent possibility of change of guard in the State government in the wake of Mufti's diagnosis at a Mumbai hospital were neither contradicted nor confirmed by the government and the ruling party functionaries. Government’s designated spokesperson and Minister of Education Naeem Akhtar did not respond to phone calls. His cellphone was switched off for several hours.

Directorate of Information did not make mention or clarification with regard to the reports going viral on social media and being picked up by a section of the conventional media. In around a dozen of its news bulletins issued on Monday, there was no reference to the speculations that had every potential of creating uncertainty in the government functioning and delivery.

It was reported explicitly by some agencies that suffering from a serious ailment, Mufti had begun efforts to install his daughter Mehbooba, who is currently Lok Sabha member from South Kashmir, as his successor and Chief Minister.

Even Chief Minister's Political Analyst Waheed-ur-Rehman Para did not respond to phone calls from STATE TIMES. In a Tweet, Chief Minister's Advisor Prof. Amitabh Mattoo said that he had met Mr Mufti three days back and found him physically and mentally fit.

PDP spokesperson Dr Mehboob Beg maintained that he had no knowledge of this development as he was for the whole day busy with the fourth-day remembrance ceremony of his elder sister who passed away at her home in Los Angeles, USA, last week.

General Secretary Nizam-ud-din Bhat insisted that PDP did not feel any need to respond to “rumours”. According to him, there were currently no efforts afoot to install Ms Mufti as Chief Minister.

On the sidelines of her major district level public meeting at Baramulla, Mehbooba Mufti told journalists that her father was in good health. "Didn't you people notice that he delivered a speech for half-an-hour on 15th August? Did you find any trouble with him? We cannot help, if people speculate", she asserted without categorically refuting reports of her father's health problem. She claimed that Mufti had gone to see his son in Bangalore via Delhi and Mumbai. "He is back in Delhi now and will return to Srinagar tomorrow", Mehbooba said, while scuttling further queries and diverting to other issues.

Off the record, at least two the PDP leaders said that Chief Minister had been diagnosed with a malignant health problem in USA and currently he had undergone check-up at a specialised treatment hospital in Mumbai.

STRENGTHENING FAMILY

Sources revealed to STATE TIMES that a couple of days before his departure to Mumbai via Delhi, Mufti drove all the way to his estranged brother-in-law Sartaj Madni's home and motivated him over playing a visible and active role in the party. Madni was known to be upset over being dropped when Mufti recommended nominees and distributed tickets for vacant seats in Legislative Council. Madni was earlier tipped to be elected or nominated as a member and subsequently to be elected as Chairman of the Upper House. In the last three months, he lived in total oblivion.

Sources said that Mufti was accompanied to Madni's home near Wanpooh village by his wife Gulshan besides both the daughters, Mehbooba and Rubaiya. Next day, Madni called on Mufti at his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar. Thereafter, he resumed his political activity in his Devsar constituency where he lost in the last year's Assembly elections to the Congress candidate Mohammad Amin Bhat.

END
 

OMAR ABDULLAH TWEETS

"Rumours about Mufti Sb's ill health are rife. I hope they are wrong & pray to Allah for his long life & good health. Allah shafa bakshay".

AMITABH MATTOO TWEETS

"@abdullah_omar. Met Mufti Sahib three days ago. Mentally alert and physically no sign of any serious ailment".

OMAR ABDULLAH TWEETS

"@amitabhmattoo that's very good to hear. Hopefully your tweet will put an end to rumours & uncertainty".

END

How Iqbal Khandey was 'pushed to the wall' in Mufti's government

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

------------------
SRINAGAR, Aug 30: Breaking a jinx, ebullient and egoistic Mohammad Iqbal Khandey with his induction into IAS in 1978 became an icon for thousands of aspirants of the green channel of bureaucracy in Jammu and Kashmir. The enfant terrible---from a distant village of Kokernag hogged headlines in 1985 when, on one afternoon, he was snubbed by Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Shah for coming to the Civil Secretariat in blue jeans. Within minutes, Shah made General Administration Department issue a circular banning Western outfits for government officials. It stopped short of giving out a dress code.

Until the end of his 37-year-long career, controversies---as also tragedies----followed Mr Khanday like a shadow. His marriage to the judge Kaneez Fatima knit him into the State’s most influential bureaucratic network which he represented by default for over three decades. 

His firsts----from cracking the IAS as a Kashmiri Muslim boy from a pastoral background to his landing in jail as Principal Secretary in the infamous Srinagar Sex Scandal that finally failed in the court when the witnesses turned hostile and CBI chose not to file an appeal----are innumerable. He boldly faced situations and survived potentially killer ailments his subordinates like Azad Lone didn't. Destiny, nevertheless, left him bereft of his only son, at the young age of 26. Sajid, according to the family friends, was a promising lawyer. Daughter Sehar had a brief tryst with PDP which fielded her as a candidate in the Assembly elections of 2008.

Few would have expected a Chief Minister like Omar Abdullah to reinstate Khandey into the mainstream of bureaucracy. One fine morning, Omar got him back to the Civil Secretariat as Principal Secretary Agriculture Production. Minister of Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir was widely perceived to be the man behind Khandey’s rehabilitation, and after Madhav Lal's shifting to Delhi, as Chief Secretary.

Again, speculations were rife with change of guard in bureaucracy when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed returned to power in March this year. However, contrary to a many speculations, Mufti retained both the top choices of his political bete noire Omar Abdullah---Chief Secretary Khandey as well as Principal Secretary Bharat Bhushan Vyas.

Khandey's resignation last week didn't come out of blue. Like Mufti’s old creation, Justice (retd) Ali Mohammad Mir's quitting on a protest note towards the end of his term as Chairman State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), Khanday stepped down three months ahead of his reaching superannuation. As Mir lamented that Mufti had ignored all of his recommendations against the security forces personnel involved in human rights abuse, Khandey made it public that he had been reduced "to the level of a stenographer".

Earlier, Mr Riyaz Jan quit within weeks of his appointment as Advocate General by the Mufti government. He too complained of "interference" into his working and alleged that Advocate General's office was sought to be reduced to a joke.

Jan's replacement by the young advocate Jehangir Iqbal Ganai by the Mufti government was the first embarrassment for Khandey. PDP high ups insist that when Ganai's order of appointment was issued, he and his father (former Secretary of Legislative Assembly) Iqbal Ganai were closeted with Chief Secretary. But, next day, Khanday was heard telling his bureaucratic colleagues that he had learned about Ganai's appointment through newspapers. "Jehangir is my relative. I would have at least greeted him on his appointment", a sulking Khandey told a colleague.

Khandey, according to well-placed political and bureaucratic sources, had "serious reservations" over the nominees submitted by Chief Minister Mufti to Raj Bhawan for appointment as Chairman and Members of the State Public Service Commission (PSC). It was only when Governor Narendra Nath Vohra returned the list that Mufti got eliminated all the nominees sponsored by at least three Ministers. However, Khandey's resentment was not fully addressed as Mufti resisted even the Governor’s pressure who acknowledged Lateef-uz-Zamaan Deva's integrity but wanted a senior officer of the rank of Financial Commissioner/Chief Secretary to head the constitutional body. Deva was just a junior Secretary rank official.

Mufti put his foot down for just two nominees----Deva and academic Mushtaq Wani, whose lawyer brother Mumtaz Wani lives and practises in Virginia near Washington DC and is known to have been Mufti’s host on two occasions, each time for around a month. The Wanis, people in America insist, have grown as family friends with the Muftis. All others of the first list were replaced. It was months later that Cabinet's post facto sanction was sought merely as a formality for Advocate General's and the PSC incumbents' appointment.

Significantly, Governor did not administer oath of office and secrecy to Mr Deva and this constitutional ritual was left to the Chief Minister.

For around three months prior to Chief Secretary’s resignation, a section of bureaucrats and Ministers laboured hard to make Mufti believe that Khandey had his personal ambition for the post of Chairman PSC. It was pointed out that he had prevailed upon Omar Abdullah to leave the appointment of members and Chairman of PSC to the "next government" towards the beginning of Assembly elections last year. On that point of time, Omar had recommended Khursheed Ganai (1982 batch IAS and FC Industries) as Chairman PSC. Some of the bureaucrats and politicians made out that with deferment after deferment and by way of submitting only the deficient proposals to Raj Bhawan, Khandey wanted to keep the top job reserved for himself till his retirement in November 2015.

On one occasion, Governor wanted Omar to recommend only the Chairman but Khandey, as many believe, played the saboteur. This is believed to have strained relationships between Khandey and the top contender Ganai who, otherwise, were close relatives.

Khandey is believed to have also resented transfer and appointment of over a dozen officers and bureaucrats recommended by politicians. As Mufti failed to protect Khandey’s proposals, which were drastically changed in three Cabinet meetings, he also refused to oblige Chief Secretary in recommending bureaucrats like Mohammad Ashraf Bukhari (Commissioner Secretary Agriculture Production) as members of PSC and Chairpersons of certain undertakings. Bukhari is due to retire in March 2016.

Paradoxically, Farooq Abdullah's most disliked bureaucrat Iqbal Khandey, who was picked up by Mufti as Principal Secretary to Chief Minister in 2002, is unceremoniously out in Mufti's second term.

END