News India Jammu and Kashmir: Governor NN Vohra takes over reins as state head, holds meetings with top officials

Jammu and Kashmir: Governor NN Vohra takes over reins as state head, holds meetings with top officials

  The Governor held discussions with Chief Secretary B B Vyas and identified the major tasks which shall require to be dealt with on a strict time-bound basis, beginning from Wednesday.  

 
Governor Narinder Nath Vohra reviewed a wide range of security management issues relating to the State with senior Civil, Police, Central Police, Army and Central Intelligence Agency officers in a meeting held at the Raj Bhavan at Srinagar on Wednesday.   Governor Narinder Nath Vohra reviewed a wide range of security management issues relating to the State with senior Civil, Police, Central Police, Army and Central Intelligence Agency officers in a meeting held at the Raj Bhavan at Srinagar on Wednesday.

Hours after assuming charge as the head of the Jammu and Kashmir government, Governor NN Vohra on Wednesday held meetings with top civil administration and police officials at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar.

"Immediately after receiving President of India's approval, Governor N N Vohra issued the Proclamation to impose Governor's Rule in the State under section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir today," a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.

The Governor held discussions with Chief Secretary B B Vyas and identified the major tasks which shall require to be dealt with on a strict time-bound basis, beginning from Wednesday.

He was accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour by a police contingent as he arrived at the Civil Secretariat to take charge of the administration.

Vohra later chaired a meeting of top officials -- both from civil administration and police -- to gear up the state administrative machinery to function with speed, efficiency, and accountability.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh-cadre IAS officer BVR Subrahmanyam has been appointed the chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir in place of BB Vyas. Vyas, who was last month given a one-year extension in service, has been appointed adviser to Governor NN Vohra. Former IPS officer Vijay Kumar will be another adviser to the Governor.

Subrahmanyam is at present the additional chief secretary (Home) in Chhattisgarh. He worked with the World Bank during June 2008 and September 2011 before joining again the Manmohan Singh-led PMO in March 2012. Subrahmanyam was in the PMO after Narendra Modi became the prime minister in May 2014. He stayed in the PMO till March 2015 and then moved to his cadre state Chhattisgarh.

BB Vyas was last month given a one-year extension in service, beyond 31 May 2018, as the chief secretary of the state.

The Personnel Ministry has also amended the service rules to provide extension to Vyas beyond 60 years of age of superannuation. Till the new rule came into force, the state chief secretary retired on attaining the age of 60 years.

Vyas, who was due to superannuate in November last year, was given two extensions of three months each till May-end, to remain the chief secretary.

K Vijay Kumar, who has been appointed as an adviser to the Governor is a retired IPS officer and an ex-security adviser of the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was a key strategist in dealing with Maoist insurgency and led the task force that Special Task Force that took out bandit Veerappan during Operation Cocoon of 2004.

The Governor's rule was imposed in the state following the collapse of the BJP-PDP alliance, initiating the resignation of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Earlier on Tuesday, BJP withdrew from its coalition partner PDP citing its failure in improving the security conditions in the Kashmir Valley.

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