NEW DELHI: The new Lieutenant-Governor of J&K Girish Chandra Murmu will have a new team of advisers after he takes charge on Thursday, sources said, adding that all five advisors of Governor Satya Pal Malik have been relieved of their services. Malik’s team comprised retired IAS officers Khurshid A Ganai, KK Sharma, K. Skandan and retired IPS officers K. Vijay Kumar and Farooq Khan. They are likely to attend Murmu’s oath-taking ceremony in Srinagar.
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Skandan - a former 1982 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre - and Kumar - a 1975 batch IPS - told this newspaper that they would attend the swearing-in ceremony. "In the new UT of J&K, we cannot continue as advisers until we are re-appointed," Skandan said.
Kumar, who was appointed in 2018 to assist Malik in shaping the security strategy, denied rumours of his resignation. “Please have a clarification that my term as adviser concludes and I carry good memories of my tenure my greetings and good wishes to all — former Governor, my fellow advisers, CS DG, all Secretaries and officials DCPs, SPs and specially security forces,” he tweeted.
When this newspaper asked both the officers if they have been assigned any other task in Kashmir, they both replied in the negative. Meanwhile, the Centre on Wednesday made senior IAS officer Umang Narula advisor to Lt Governor Radha Krishna Mathur of the Himalayan region and appointed IPS officer SS Khandare as "head of police" of UT Of Ladakh.
Narula is, at present, posted as principal secretary to Malilk. An oath taking ceremony will be held on Thursday in Leh where RK Mathur will be sworn in as the first Lt Governor of Ladakh.