A Day after B R Sharma’s Elevation as New CS, Ganai Applies for Leave

SRINAGAR: A day after Brij Raj Sharma was elevated to top bureaucratic post in Jammu and Kashmir Government, his senior and incumbent Financial Commissioner (I&C), Khurshid Ganai, has applied for one months leave.

The state cabinet which met here under CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed yesterday cleared B R Sharma as Chief Secretary after Muhammad Iqbal Khanday decided to go Voluntary retirement. He relinquished office on August 31.

Sources revealed that Ganai- scheduled to retire later this year- this morning applied for one months leave.

B R Sharma was at number five amongst top five IAS officers from J&K cadre, however, Mufti led government chose Sharma.Although Ganai has applied for leave but government is working on a new assignment for the 1982 IAS officer, a top source said adding, obviously, to keep Ganai out of administrative control of his junior.

What is unclear is whether Ganai is by way of his leave signalling to the Government his displeasure over Sharmas elevation or is there a deeper malaise in the states administrative and bureaucratic system that is making top officials reconsider their tenures and position in the Government.

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In any case, whatever the real reasons for Ganais leave, the precedents that his and earlier Khandays departure are leaving can only be alarming. Top technocratic talent with a range and breadth of experience leaving the government means that the states bureaucratic machinery is being left bereft of experienced and sagacious officers. This, in the final analysis, can only impact negatively the governance of the state which, in turn, will affect public welfare and public good. The state, can ill afford this at a time, when it needs to make a robust and comprehensive recovery after the 2014 floods.

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