The J&K administration today re-allocated government business to the three Advisors to the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha after one of the Advisors, KK Sharma, was appointed as Election Commissioner of J&K.
“In supersession of Government Order No. 809-JK (GAD) of 2020 dated 01.09.2020, it is hereby ordered that Farooq Khan, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar and Baseer Ahmad Khan, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, J&K, shall exercise powers of the Minister under the Transaction of Business of the Government of J&K Rules, 2019, in respect of Departments allocated to them,” reads an order issued by the GAD.
Advisor Farooq Khan has been given Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Social Welfare, Tribal Affairs, Labour and Employment, Youth Services and Sports, ARI and Training, Cooperative, Election, Haj and Auqaf, Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare, and Horticulture.
Advisor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar has been allocated departments like Health and Medical Education, Public Works (R&B), Jal Shakti, Transport, Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Revenue, School Education, Higher Education, and Skill Development.
Advisor Baseer Ahmed Khan has been allocated Power Development Department, Rural Development Department, and Panchayati Raj, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Culture, Tourism, Floriculture, Planning, Development and Monitoring, and Industries and Commerce.
However, Advisor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar will advise Lt Governor on matter relating to Home Department and coordinate activities of police including militancy monitoring group, force deployment, intelligence work, preparedness for law and order, operational effectiveness, counter cross border propaganda, jails, FSL, prosecutions, Narcotics Control and POSCO matters.
Besides, the files of General Administration Department, Home Department, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will be submitted to Lt Governor through Chief Secretary. The files related to IAS, IPS and IFS officers will be placed before the Lt Governor.
The files of Housing and Urban Department, Information Technology, Science and Technology, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Estates, Forests, Ecology and Environment, Information, and Mining will be submitted to the Lt Governor.
Similarly, the files of Finance, Civil Aviation and Hospitality and Protocol will also be submitted to Lt Governor though Financial Commissioner, Finance Department.