SRINAGAR: In a surprising development, the PDP-BJP coalition government on Friday removed Chief Secretary B R Sharma and replaced him with B B Vyas.
The decision to remove Sharma as Chief Secretary of the State was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu, winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, today.
The cabinet ordered posting of B V Vyas, 1986 batch IAS officer, as new Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.
Vyas was presently posted as Financial Commissioner, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Administrative Secretary of Planning and Development Department, Disaster Management, Relief Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, Information, Hospitality & Protocol and Civil Aviation and Estates Departments.
The incumbent Chief Secretary B R Sharma IAS, (JK:1984) was appointed as Advisor (Administrative Affairs) to the Chief Minister.
Sources said both PDP and BJP had agreed on removing the incumbent Chief Secretary B R Sharma. “Both parties felt that an experienced officer needed to head the bureaucracy at this point of time when situation is volatile in the Valley,” they said.
Vyas is said to be an efficient bureaucrat and has served as principal secretary to Jammu and Kashmir Governor, two former State Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed.
The appointment of Vyas has come at a time when Kashmir is on edge. After the stone pelting by youth, the students have been agitating against the government for manhandling of students.
The situation is not fully under control of the Mehbooba government and posting of Vyas, an efficient administrator, is seen as a process by government to fine-tune the administration, reach out to the masses and start developmental activities.
Now it remains to be seen whether the appointment of Vyas can help the Mehbooba government in restoring peace and tranquility in the Valley, where tension is prevailing after an elderly civilian was killed in army firing on protestors demanding bodies of two slain militants in Panzgam, Kuwpara yesterday after three soldiers and two militants were killed in fidayeen attack on army camp in the area.
Kashmir has been tense after killing of 8 civilians in security forces firing during bypolls to Srinagar parliamentary seat on April 9. The tension escalated after student protests on April 17.
After the Valley-wide student protests, the government has snapped mobile internet services and recently banned 22 social networking sites and instant messaging services in Kashmir.