Govt transfers 136 JKAS officers in major reshuffle

Srinagar, Sep 1: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday carried out a major bureaucratic reshuffle involving 136 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), with several senior officials being given new assignments in the civil secretariat, districts and key government institutions.
The General Administration Department issued the transfer and posting order with immediate effect through Government Order No. 1463-JK(GAD) of 2026.
As part of the reshuffle, Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza, presently Member of the J&K Special Tribunal, has been appointed Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission against an available vacancy.
Among the other significant changes, Rifat Kohli has been named Chief Operating Officer of Himayat, replacing Rajneesh Gupta, who will now serve as Special Secretary in the Hospitality and Protocol Department.
Gulzar Ahmad Dar has been posted as Special Secretary in the Cooperatives Department, while Bhumesh Sharma has been moved from the J&K Advisory Board for Development of Kisans to head the Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People as its secretary.
The government has appointed Kanta Devi as Special Secretary in the Health and Medical Education Department and Rajinder Singh as Special Secretary in the Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department.
Sanjay Gupta, who was serving as Additional Secretary in the Mining Department, has been shifted to the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department in the same rank.
Several changes have also been made in district administration.
Amarjeet Singh has been posted as Additional District Development Commissioner, Poonch, while Ghulam Rasool will take charge as Additional District Development Commissioner, Kupwara.
Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Administrator of Associated Hospitals, Srinagar, has been transferred as Additional District Development Commissioner, Pulwama. Masarat Hashim will succeed him as Administrator of Associated Hospitals, Srinagar.
Rifat Aftab Qureshi has been appointed Director, Command Area Development, Kashmir. The post of Additional District Development Commissioner, Srinagar, held by Qureshi, will be filled as per the government order.
Dr Fayaz Ahmad Banday, meanwhile, has been transferred as Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir.
In another key appointment, Anju Gupta has been posted as Additional Inspector General of Registration, Jammu, while Pankaj Gupta has been appointed Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, Doda.
Namrita Dogra has been transferred as Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, Jammu.
Jogindera Singh Rai has been appointed Managing Director of the J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation, while Basharat Hussain has been posted as Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Development Authority, Rajouri.
Vinod Kumar Behnal will take charge as Executive Director of the J&K Rehabilitation Council in the Social Welfare Department.
The reshuffle also affects the sports, taxation and disaster management sectors. Tazayun Mukhtar, currently Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Development Agency, Kashmir, has been appointed Secretary of the J&K Sports Council.
Dhananter Singh has been posted as Additional Commissioner, State Taxes (Administration and Enforcement), Jammu, while Shazia Koser has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, State Taxes (IT, Data Analytics and Economic Intelligence), Jammu.
Dr Zahoor Ahmad Magray has been posted as Additional Commissioner in the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir.
Ghulam Nabi Bhat has been appointed Deputy Commissioner, State Taxes (Recovery), Kashmir.
Veedushi Kapoor has been shifted from the Civil Aviation Department to the Revenue Department as Additional Secretary, while Shahid Mehmood has been posted as Programme Officer, ICDS Project, Pulwama.
Anil Salgotra, who was serving as Joint Chief Electoral Officer, has been appointed Joint Director, School Education, Jammu.
Raj Mohammad has been given charge as Director, Land Management, Srinagar Development Authority.
Afshan Masood has been posted as Joint Director, J&K Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD).
Mohammad Aslam, Registrar-cum-Controller of Examinations at SKIMS, Soura, has been transferred as General Manager, District Industries Centre, Ganderbal.
Sumera Shamim, who was Director, Land Management, Srinagar Development Authority, has been posted as Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies (Special), Kashmir.
Avleen Kour Bali has been appointed Joint Registrar, Cooperatives (Special), Jammu, while Ashima Sher has been transferred as Joint Director (Administration) in the Directorate of Rural Development, Jammu.
The order also includes a number of other postings and transfers across departments and field formations, covering areas including revenue, education, health, taxation, cooperatives, social welfare, rural development and urban administration.
The government said the transfers and postings would take effect immediately. (KNO)