IPS rank officer likely to be next advisor to J&K LG
The post of advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, that fell vacant after the removal of the retired IAS officer of 2000 batch Baseer Ahmed Khan, is likely to be filled with an appointment of top IPS rank officer, presently serving in one of the top most intelligence agencies of the country.
Sources privy to Jammu and Kashmir administration said that the IPS rank officer is the front runner for the post of advisor to be filled very soon with the consultations of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The name of the top cop (IPS rank), who is presently serving in one of the top most intelligence agencies of the country is almost cleared and he may soon be appointed as new advisor to the Lieutenant Governor,” sources said.
Recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and consistent performance, the officer is senior-most in the country, they said.
After the removal of Baseer Ahmad Khan from the post of advisor, presently, cop turned politician Farooq Khan and former Director General CRPF, R R Bhatnagar, are advisors to the Lieutenant Governor.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on October 5 removed Baseer Ahmad Khan as advisor to the Lieutenant Governor. His removal from the post came all of a sudden and the reasons behind it were not yet known.
Khan was made an advisor in March last year (2020) when G C Murmu was the Lieutenant Governor, and he continued in the post under Murmu’s successor Manoj Sinha.
“At present two senior most IPS officers are advisors in the LG Manoj Sinha headed administration and the upcoming appointment likely of IPS rank officer has cleared that the government has planned to come tough against the militancy in times to come with a well knitted strategy to be put in place,” sources added.
Notably, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had also recently on the sidelines of an event said that the militancy will be wiped out from Jammu and Kashmir in two years.
However, cop turned politician, Advisor Farooq Khan retired in 2013 as Inspector General of Police, joined BJP in 2014 and was appointed the national secretary of the party in June 2015.
He also served as the 32nd Administrator of Lakshadweep till July 2019 and following this, he was appointed as advisor to the Governor Satya Pal Malik, after which he was an advisor to the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir G C Murmu and currently holds the position.
He holds the portfolios of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Social Welfare, Tribal Affairs, Labour and Employment, Youth Services and Sports, ARl and Trainings, Cooperative, Election, Haj and Auqaf, Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare and Horticulture.
Former IPS Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, who had served as the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force in his last tenure of service till his retirement on December 31, 2019, was appointed an advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir G C Murmu in January 2020.
He holds the portfolios of Health and Medical Education, Public Works (R&B), Jal Shakti, Transport, Animal/Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Revenue, School Education, Higher Education and Skill Development.
Apart from this, K K Sharma, a 1983-batch retired IAS officer of AGMUT cadre, was also appointed as advisor to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik but following the creation of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, he was appointed advisor to Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and then to Manoj Sinha.
In February 2020, he was appointed as the chairperson of the JK Board of Technical Education and on October 30, 2020 he resigned as advisor to the Lieutenant Governor and was appointed as first Election Commissioner of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
