J&K Government today placed the chairpersons of District Development Councils equivalent to Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners and Inspector General of Police (IGPs) in the warrant of precedence.
The government placed Chairpersons of DDCs at serial number 25 equivalent to Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, IGPs, Joint Secretaries of Government of India and officers of the rank of Major General or equivalent ranks.
The vice-chairpersons of DDCs are equivalent to Vice-Chancellors of Universalities within the Union Territory as they are placed at serial number 27.
The chairpersons of Block Development Council, President of Municipal Councils and Municipalities and Members of the District Development Councils are placed equivalent to District Magistrates, officers of the rank of Brigadiers and equivalent, Major Heads of Departments, District and Session Judges. They figure at the serial number 28th.
Whereas the Lt Governor of the Union Territories are concerned, the warrant of precedence reads that the Lt Governors within their respective Union Territories are equivalent to Attorney General of India, Cabinet Secretary of Govt of India at serial number 11. However, the Chief Ministers of the Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillors Delhi within their respective UTs are equivalent to Cabinet Ministers in the States within their respective states and they figure at serial number 15.
Interestingly, the Chief Ministers of States within their states figure at serial number 7 along with Cabinet Ministers of the Union, former Prime Ministers, and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and others. And, outside their respective States, the Chief Ministers of the States are equivalent to Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to India, Governors of the States outside their respective states and they figure at serial number 8.
In comparison, the Chief Ministers of the Union Territories and Lt Governor of their respective UTs figure at serial number 25. They are equivalent to Additional Secretaries of Government of India, Additional Solicitors General, Additional Generals of States, Chairman of Public Service Commission, Chairman, Tariff Commission, Deputy Comptrollers, Auditor General, and Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in UT, Director Central Bureau of Intelligence, Director General of BSF, Director General CRPF, Director Intelligence Bureau, Financial Commissioner to the Government, Director General of Police within their respective States/UTs.