CM meets newly inducted IAS officers, deputations, senior officers

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Sept 1: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met several officers, deputations and other individuals at the Civil Secretariat here.

A group of newly inducted IAS officers, including Babila Rakhwal, Shabnam Shah Kamili, Rachna Sharma, Leena Padha, Rajinder Singh Tara, Munir ul Islam, Sajjad Hussain Gani, Anoo Malhotra, Nitu Gupta, Prediman Krishan Bhat, Bhawani Rakhwal and Anuradha Gupta made a courtesy call and met the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister congratulated the officers on their induction into the country’s premier civil service and wished them a successful tenure. He expressed hope that they would continue to serve the people with the same dedication and enthusiasm.

Commissioner Secretary, Information and Planning Department, R. Alice Vaz, separately met the Chief Minister and apprised him of the preparations for the First International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK), scheduled to be held from September 7 to 10, 2026.

The Chief Minister took note of the preparations and stressed the need for ensuring seamless arrangements and effective coordination among all concerned departments and agencies for the successful conduct of the international film festival.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Sujit Kumar, also called on the Chief Minister following his recent assumption of charge. Omar Abdullah extended his best wishes to the officer for his new assignment and discussed matters pertaining to the security and policing environment in the Kashmir region.

Managing Director, Ernst & Young (E&Y), Amit Khandelwal, and Regional Head, E&Y, Navreet Singh, also called on the Chief Minister. The delegation briefed him on the work being undertaken by the firm in Jammu & Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister chaired a meeting with members of the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) J&K at the Civil Secretariat here and discussed a range of issues concerning governance, development, environment and public welfare in Jammu and Kashmir.

Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani was also present at the meeting. The civil society group was led by Khurshid Ahmed Ganai (IAS Retd.) and comprised other members of the GCC.

The delegation raised several issues of public importance, including governance, environmental protection, municipal administration and waste management. Particular attention was drawn to the conservation of water bodies and wetlands and the need for effective measures to safeguard these important ecological assets.

The GCC also raised issues relating to the conversion of agricultural land, traffic management, flood mitigation and management, and power development, including greater focus on renewable energy. Issues pertaining to skill development and employment generation, as well as digitisation of revenue records, were also discussed.

The Chief Minister gave a patient hearing to the concerns and suggestions put forth by the members of the GCC. He noted the issues raised during the meeting and assured that these would be taken into consideration by the Government while examining the relevant matters.