Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday ordered a major administrative reshuffle involving 49 senior IAS and JKAS officers, bringing changes across key departments and several districts of the Union Territory.
The General Administration Department issued the orders under Government Order No. 1612-JK(GAD) of 2026, dated October 7, with the transfers and fresh postings taking immediate effect. The reshuffle affects crucial sectors including revenue, tourism, health, rural development, transport, civil aviation, municipal governance and district administration.
Among the key changes, Shaleen Kabra, IAS, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Jal Shakti Department, has been given additional charge of the Revenue Department.
Dr Ashish Chandra Verma, IAS, has been shifted from Tourism to Agriculture Production, while M Raju, IAS, Commissioner/Secretary, General Administration Department, has been relieved of the charge of Health and Medical Education. He has been assigned additional responsibilities of Hospitality and Protocol and Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
Saugat Biswas, IAS, has been appointed Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department. Ramesh Kumar, IAS, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, has been posted as Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, while continuing as Resident Commissioner in New Delhi. Avny Lavasa, IAS, has been posted to Tourism, while R Alice Vaz, IAS, will take charge of Transport with additional responsibilities of Civil Aviation and Information.
The urban governance sector has also seen changes, with Basharat Qayoom, IAS, appointed Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, with additional responsibility for the Smart City project. Ayushi Sudan, IAS, has been posted as Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, with additional charge of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
Several districts have also received new Deputy Commissioners, including Jammu, Rajouri, Kupwara, Budgam, Ganderbal, Samba, Udhampur and Pulwama. In development-linked institutions, Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan, IAS, has been posted as Mission Director, National Health Mission. Akriti Sagar, IAS, has been posted to the J&K Tourism Development Corporation with additional responsibility of the Economic Reconstruction Agency.
Owais Ahmed, IAS, has been assigned charge of Planning, Development and Monitoring while retaining Skill Development, while Dr Sagar Doifode, IAS, has been posted as Secretary, Social Welfare. A number of JKAS officers have also been transferred and given new responsibilities in district administration and specialised departments.
Kuldeep Krishan Sidha has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, while Charandeep Singh has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, Shopian. Other JKAS officers have been posted to key positions in Reasi, Kathua, Budgam and Uri.
The reshuffle comes amid political discussions in J&K over a possible expansion of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Council of Ministers. However, the government order itself does not link the administrative changes to any political developments.
The order, issued by M Raju, Commissioner/Secretary, General Administration Department, brings changes across several major administrative and development sectors in the Union Territory.
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