‘Government to Take Final Call on CS Issue within Two Days’

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Trying to play smart over the Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday’s voluntary retirement issue, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh Thursday said that he was not aware about the issue but maintained that within next two days government will take final call on it.

“I am not aware what has happened. I don’t know anything about the CS’s voluntary retirement. But yes I can say you that within next two days government  will take final call on the issue,” Deputy chief minister Dr Nirmal Singh told KNS on the side lines of the function here at SKICC.

When asked if the government has accepted the CS’s VRS and who will be the next Chief Secretary the Deputy CM said, “I was out of station and the Chief Minister was also not available in the state. But I can tell you that the decision will be taken soon in this regard.”

Pertinently to mention that Chief Secretary had confrontation with Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh over transfers and postings of officers.

It was on May 29 when Shakti Pathak, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Deputy Chief Minister, shot off a letter on behalf of Nirmal Singh to the Chief Secretary for immediate revocation of the transfer order of Majid Khalil Ahmad Drabu, a KAS officer.

The officer was transferred and posted as Special Secretary to Government, Public Works Department, from the post of Special Secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department. The Chief Secretary had argued that the Special Secretary could not be transferred without the approval of the Cabinet.

Meanwhile sources said that Iqbal Khandey is likely to continue in his office till August 31 and the new incumbent is likely to take over the reins of administration from September 1.

A source said that though Principal Secretary Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma, IAS officer of 1984 batch, is likely to replace Khandey as the new Chief Secretary but did not ruled out the name of senior IAS officer Kursheed Ahmad Ganai.  “Government may appoint Kursheed Ahmad Ganai as Chief Secretary till his superannuation that is on October 31,” Sources said.

On October 17, 2014 the then Cabinet had accorded sanction to the promotion of B R Sharma as Principal Secretary Planning and Development Department to the fixed scale of IAS.

Mohammad Iqbal Khandey had submitted his papers seeking voluntary retirement, three months ahead of his scheduled retirement on November 30, this year.

The 1978 batch IAS officer became chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when the National Conference-Congress alliance led by Omar Abdullah was in power.

Sources said soon after Mufti Mohammad Saeed took charge at the head of a People’s Democratic Party-BJP alliance in March, there were reports of his differences with the Chief Secretary.

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