Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday directed administrative departments to mark all papers and files to new Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta with effect from Monday, an order termed “very unusual” by former chief minister Omar Abdullah.
On Friday, the government issued orders appointing Mehta, a 1988-batch IAS officer, as the new chief secretary after incumbent B V R Subrahmanyam was appointed as an Officer on Special Duty in the Union Ministry of Commerce.
In an order, Commissioner Secretary General Administration Department (GAD) Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said it is hereby ordered that all the functions of the Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary would now be disposed of by Mehta.
“Accordingly, all the administrative departments are directed to address/mark all the papers and files to Shri Arun Kumar Mehta, IAS, with effect from 31.05.2021,” the order read.
Abdullah, the National Conference vice president, said he had not seen such an order before.
“Very unusual order issued by the J&K government. If I didn’t know better I’d read this order to mean the outgoing CS wasn’t too keen to hand over charge to his successor. Either way I haven’t seen an order like this before,” Omar said in a tweet.
In another tweet, apparently referring to the outgoing chief secretary, he said, “A man who famously said no Kashmiris shed tears when mainstream politicians were detained in 2019. In 2021, it looks like no one can wait to show him the door. Be careful who you step on on the way up, you will meet them on the way down.”
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