Anshul Garg Appointed Kashmir’s Div Com, 13others Get Top Positions In J&K Civil Admin

Srinagar : Anshul Garg, a 36-year-old IAS officer from the 2013 batch, was appointed on Tuesday as the divisional commissioner of the strategic Kashmir division, making him the youngest officer to hold the coveted post.
Garg was among 10 IAS officers and four Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers who were reshuffled by the Lt Governor Administration.
Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, is transferred and posted as divisional commissioner, Kashmir, said an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD).
He will replace V K Bhiduri who was transferred by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to Delhi on May 16 this year.
As the divisional commissioner, Garg will be overseeing the deputy commissioners of the 10 districts of Kashmir division. He will be responsible for maintaining law and order and will work closely with the police and security forces.
Garg had become a household name in the border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir where he was appointed as deputy commissioner in 2019.
During his posting in Kupwara, he had travelled to the remote villages near the Line of Control where he met with a group of villagers who, after waiting for seven decades, simply asked, “Can we get electricity?”
This question had rattled Garg and he immediately made it his mission to bring power to the area.
He assembled a dedicated team, fast-tracked the project, and, after navigating challenges like heavy snow, manpower shortages, and a lockdown, successfully connected three villages to the national grid. The joyful screams of the villagers when the lights came on were the ultimate reward for a job well done.
Besides Garg, Naveen S L, secretary, Transport Department, is transferred and posted as secretary, Civil Aviation Department along with additional charge of Commissioner, Civil Aviation, relieving Shahid Iqbal Choudhary of the additional charge of the post, the GAD order said.
It said Avny Lavasa, awaiting orders of posting in the GAD, is posted as secretary, Transport Department, while Vikas Kundal, deputy commissioner, Poonch, is transferred and posted as chairman, J-K Services Selection Board.
Gurpal Singh, director, Social Welfare, Jammu, is transferred and posted as managing director, Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited, the order said.
Sachin Kumar Vaishya, deputy commissioner, Jammu, is transferred and posted as CEO, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, it said.
Anil Banka, awaiting orders of posting in the GAD, is posted as special secretary, Finance Department, while Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, MD of Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited, is the new deputy commissioner, Kupwara.
Rakesh Minhas, deputy commissioner, Kathua, is transferred and posted as deputy commissioner, Jammu, and Ayushi Sudan, deputy commissioner, Kupwara, is transferred and posted as deputy commissioner, Samba, the order added.
Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, JKAS, deputy commissioner, Bandipora, is transferred and shall await further orders of adjustment in the GAD, has been replaced by Indu Kanwal, JKAS, chairman, J-K Services Selection Board.
Ashok Kumar Sharma, JKAS, special secretary, Labour and Employment Department, is transferred and posted as deputy commissioner, Poonch, while Rajesh Sharma, JKAS, deputy commissioner, Samba, will be the new deputy commissioner, Kathua, the order said.