KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Regardless of the impact Chief Secretary Iqbal A Khanday’s voluntary retirement may have for the coalition government, it definitely will have some cascading impact on the administration. The next in line is financial commissioner Khursheed A Ganai, currently taking care of industries and commerce department.
Given the cabinet calling B R Sharma to substitute the cabinet secretary the day Khanday was absent suggest that he will have to take over as the next boss of the bureaucracy in the state. But he is junior to at least four IAS officers – Ashok Kumar Angurana, Arun Kumar, his wife Sonali Kumar and Khursheed A Ganai.
While Angurana is a secretary in the Union government and may not be in the race, both Mrs and Mr Kumar are in the state; however, both of them are holding adequate positions which are outside the control of chief secretary. Arun Kumar is FC revenue and Sonali Kumar is heading state’s special tribunal. Both the officers are outside the secretariat and far away from the administrative control of the chief secretary.
This is not the case with Ganai who operates as a senior head of the department and operates from the civil secretariat. In case B R Sharma takes over as the next chief secretary, as the indications suggest, the government will have to first offer an adequate position for Ganai. Given his seniority, Ganai may dislike the idea of working under his junior. While Khanday was supposed retire by November, Ganai was retiring a month ahead, late October. The government will have to manage his posting for the balance two months outside the secretariat.
Officials aware of the situation said a similar situation arose last time when the government decided to appoint Dr S S Bloeria as the Chief Secretary. He superseded three of his IAS colleagues. While one of his batch mates agreed to work under him, the government had to post two others outside, away from his administrative control.
The government may have to evolve a similar mechanism this time for Khursheed Ganai. While two major positions outside the secretariat have incumbents adequately placed, there is only place that may be touched in coming days – IMPA. The government may have to replace a junior officer who currently heads IMPA or simply create a special position to park the senior most bureaucrat. If the government fails in doing so, there might be another top office on way home, may be on leave.
