Major rejig in J&K, over 170 officers transferred

Srinagar, Apr 30: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday ordered a major reshuffle in the bureaucracy, transferring and posting more than 170 officials including Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers across various departments with immediate effect.
According to Government Order No. 855-JK(GAD) of 2026 issued by the General Administration Department, the transfers were made in the interest of improving administration and strengthening governance across the Union Territory.
Several senior officers have been given key responsibilities. Asif Hamid Khan has been appointed Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department. Smita Sethi will serve as Managing Director of the J&K Housing Board, while Manzoor Ahmad Qadri has been posted as Managing Director of the J&K Financial Corporation. Mohammad Rafi has been appointed Director General of Libraries.
Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza has been made Member of the J&K Special Tribunal, and Rubina Kousar has been posted as Mission Director of ICPS/Vatsalya. Mushtaq Ahmad will serve as Director, Estates Jammu, while Mukhtar Ahmed Chowdhary has been kept awaiting further posting in the General Administration Department.
In other key appointments, Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar has been given charge as Managing Director of SIDCO, along with additional responsibility of SICOP. Mufti Farid-ud-Din has been appointed Director of SKICC.
At the district level, Gulzar Ahmad Dar has been posted as Additional District Development Commissioner, Kupwara, while Reyaz Ahmad Wani will serve as Director, Rural Development (Kashmir). Mohammad Younis Malik has been appointed Director of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute.
The order also includes postings of Special Secretaries and Directors in departments such as Planning, Housing and Urban Development, Tourism, Power Development, and Agriculture Production.
Khurshid Ahmad Sanai has been appointed Secretary of the J&K Services Selection Board, Pankaj Raj Katoch will serve as Director, Panchayati Raj, and Pawan Kumar Sharma as Director, Geology and Mining.
Tassaduq Hussain Mir has been posted as Custodian General, while Shabir Hussain Bhat has been appointed Vice-Chairman of the Srinagar Development Authority.
Officials said the large-scale reshuffle is aimed at ensuring smooth functioning of departments and better delivery of public services across Jammu and Kashmir.