Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, administered the oath to Abdul Latief Deva as Chairman of J&K Public Service Commission (PSC) at the Civil Secretariat, here today.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh, Chief Secretary, Iqbal Khandey, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas and Secretary, GAD, Gazzanfar Hussain, were present at a low-key affair, in view of the sad demise of former President of India and Bharat Ratna, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, yesterday.
After the oath-taking function, the Chief Minister expressed hope and optimism that the newly-constituted PSC will fast-track process of recruitment so that vacancies which have piled up are filled in a time-bound manner, thus bringing succour to the aspiring candidates.
After taking over reins of power, the present Government had initiated process for filling up vacancies in J&K PSC, which had become defunct last year. When S. L. Bhat retired as Chairman of the Constitutional body in September 2014, the process of recruitment had come to a grinding halt with over 2800 posts remaining unfilled by getting stuck at various levels in the Commission.
An IAS officer of 2001 batch, Deva was born in Anantnag on January 1, 1957. He has had an impeccable record as an officer having served at several senior positions in the administration including as Deputy Commissioner / District Development Commissioner, Municipal Commsisioner, Srinagar, Settlement Commissioner, Custodian General and Vice Chairman of J&K Lakes & Waterways Development Authority. Given his vast experience in administrative matters, Deva played a key role in policy-related issues and bringing in greater synergy in the field between officers and the general public.
After assuming charge as Chairman, Deva administered oath to the other Members of the Commission which include Tashi Dorjee, Lal Chand, Jaipal Singh, Ali Asgar Choudhary, Prof (Dr.) Posh Charak, Prof Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Er. Mushtaq Ahmed Lone and Suresh Kumar Sharma.
It is expected that a full-strength PSC will speed up the process of filling up of vacancies presently lying with the Commission in a time-bound manner.
Tashi Dorje, a KAS officer of 1977 batch, was inducted into IAS in 2005. He served at various positions including Deputy Commissioner Kargil and Director Area Command before superannuating as Secretary to Government, ARI & Trainings in 2011.
Lal Chand, an IFS officer of 1981 batch, has distinguished himself in various positions in the State Forest Department before retiring in 2013 as Chairman, State Pollution Control Board.
Both Jai Pal Singh and Ali Asgar Choudhary are KAS officers of 1984 batch, having done their post-graduation from the University of Jammu. Jai Pal Singh is also recipient of State Award for Meritorious Service and Prime Minister’s Medal for Excellence.
Prof. (Dr.) Posh Charak and Prof. Mushtaq Ahmad Wani have carved out a niche for themselves in the field of higher education. While Prof. (Dr.) Charak has held senior faculty positions including Dean, Research Studies, Head, Department of Dogri and Head, Department of English, Prof. Wani has made immense contribution as the Member of Academic Council of University of Kashmir and Assessor NAAC, Bangalore.
Er. Mushtaq Ahmad Lone got his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the then Regional Engineering College, Srinagar. He rose to become Chief Engineer and served in PMGSY and R&B wings of the State’s Public Works Department. For his honesty and dedication to service, he has been appointed as Member of the J&K PSC.
Suresh Kumar Sharma is a senior judicial officer who was serving as Special Judge, Anti-Corruption for CBI Cases, Jammu, before he was appointed as Member of the PSC.