Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday ordered a major administrative reshuffle, transferring and posting 49 IAS and JKAS officers with immediate effect. The changes, issued through Government Order No. 1612-JK(GAD) of 2026 by the General Administration Department on October 7 by order of the Lieutenant Governor, touch several key departments and senior positions across the Union Territory.
Among the principal changes, Shaleen Kabra, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) of the Jal Shakti Department, has been given additional charge as Administrative Secretary of the Revenue Department, relieving Kumar Rajeev Ranjan of that charge. Dr Ashish Chandra Verma has been moved from the Tourism Department and posted as Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Agriculture Production Department. M. Raju, Commissioner/Secretary in the General Administration Department, has been relieved of the additional charge of Health and Medical Education and assigned additional charge of Hospitality and Protocol, besides the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. Saugat Biswas takes over as Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical Education.
Avny Lavasa has been posted as Secretary, Tourism Department, while continuing to hold the Tribal Affairs portfolio. Vikas Kundal, until now Chairman of the J&K Services Selection Board, becomes Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, with additional charge of Additional CEO, Jammu Metropolitan Regional Development Authority. Owais Ahmed is posted as Administrative Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, and continues as Director, Skill Development. Dr Sagar Doifode Dattatray moves from Agriculture Production to Social Welfare as Administrative Secretary.
District administrations see considerable churn. Dr Devansh Yadav, Commissioner of the Jammu Municipal Corporation, becomes Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri. Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, is posted as CEO of the State Health Agency with additional charge of Managing Director, Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission. Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, becomes Chairman of the Services Selection Board. Minga Sherpa moves from Udhampur to Jammu as Deputy Commissioner, Jatin Kishore from Ganderbal to Budgam, Shreya Singhal from the Tourism Development Corporation to Ganderbal, and Rupesh Kumar from the Jammu Development Authority to Samba. Vidhu Shekhar becomes Vice Chairman of the Jammu Development Authority.
In the Kashmir Valley, Basharat Qayoom, Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, is posted as Commissioner of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation with additional charge of CEO, Srinagar Smart City Project. Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan, Deputy Commissioner Budgam, becomes Managing Director, National Health Mission. Akriti Sagar moves from the National Health Mission to the J&K Tourism Development Corporation, with additional charge of CEO, J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency. Ayushi Sudan, Deputy Commissioner Samba, is posted as Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, with additional charge of Special Purpose Vehicle Jammu City and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
Among JKAS officers, Charaandeep Singh becomes Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, and Kuldeep Krishan Sidha Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama. The order also covers senior officials in Revenue, Rural Development, Employment, Labour, Archives and other departments.
The government said the transfers have been made in the interest of administration, a routine formulation, with the changes bringing fresh leadership to health, tourism, municipal bodies and several districts.
