Now, 3 Advisors hail from J&K
All 4 are Retd IAS, IPS officers
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 15: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today appointed Baseer Ahmad Khan, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and an IAS officer of 2000 batch, as fourth Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu. All four Advisors of the LG are retired IAS and IPS officers.
An official order issued today by the Ministry of Home Affairs conveyed approval of the Ministry to Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam on appointment of Baseer Khan as Advisor to the Lieutenant Government.
Terms and conditions of the appointment will be issued by the Lieutenant Governor, the MHA order said, adding that the appointment of Baseer Khan will be effective from the date he assumes charge.
Portfolios to Baseer Khan will be issued by the Lieutenant Governor after his joining as the Advisor. Post of the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir which will fall vacant after appointment of Khan as the Advisor will be filled by the Union Territory Government.
Soon after his appointment, Khan told the Excelsior that he will list his priorities after joining as the Advisor.
Khan and his twin brother Muneer Khan, ADGP Security and Law and Order, an IPS officer, were scheduled to retire on June 30, 2019 but both of them were granted extension in the services by one year by the Central Government.
Baseer Khan played crucial role in maintenance of law and order situation in the Kashmir valley post August 5 following revocation of special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
With appointment of Baseer Khan, the Lieutenant Governor now has four Advisors-two each of whom are retired IAS and IPS officers. They included Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar and Farooq Khan, both retired IPS officers and Kewal Sharma, a retired IAS officer of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh Goa Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre.
Bhatnagar had retired as Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and was appointed as the Advisor to Lieutenant Governor within days after his retirement. He holds some Departments of Home Affairs among others. Farooq Khan is a retired IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre and had served as Administrator of Lakshadweep before being appointed as the Advisor here.
Kewal Sharma had served as the Chief Secretary of Delhi and was IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.
Of four Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, three hailed from Jammu and Kashmir including Kewal Sharma, Farooq Khan and Baseer Khan.
Murmu was also an IAS officer posted as Secretary Expenditure in the Union Finance Ministry before being appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and had taken over the charge on October 31, 2019, the day J&K formally became the Union Territory.
In addition to four Advisors of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, K Vijay Kumar, also a retired IPS officer who had also served as Director General of CRPF, is Special Security Advisor in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, looking after Jammu and Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism Affected States and is frequent visitor to J&K for assessment of security situation in the Union Territory.
Kumar had also served as Advisor to former Governor Satya Pal Malik in Jammu and Kashmir along with Kewal Sharma, K Skandan and Farooq Khan.
Sources said the Central Government is of the view that Baseer Khan’s experience in handling situation in the Valley as the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir post August 5 Central decisions will prove useful as the Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor.
“Portfolios of three incumbent Advisors are also likely to be reshuffled after takeover as Advisor by Baseer Khan,” sources said.
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