Baseer’s appointment as LG’s Advisor sends shivers up and down the spine in higher echelons of powers

Srinagar: The appointment of Baseer Ahmad Khan, the outgoing Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has sent shivers up and down in the higher echelons of power in Jammu & Kashmir civil administration as Baseer is junior to Chief Secretary and over a dozen administrative secretaries of the Jammu & Kashmir Government.
Authoritative sources told Kashmir Horizon that most of the administrative secretaries are upset over the appointment of Baseer Khan as advisor to Lieutenant Government. Saying that the government used to appoint the officers of only Chief Secretary and DGP ranks as advisors to governor in the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state and Lt Governor after downgrading the state to union territory one of the senior IAS officer of the Principal Secretary rank on conditions of anonymity told Kashmir Horizon over phone “ the decision to appoint Baseer Khan as advisor to Lt Governor is tantamount to subverting the seniority of the officers in the higher echelons of power”.
A secretary ranked officer presently holding the position of administrative secretary of a low key department when contacted told Kashmir Horizon on conditions of anonymity over phone “not only the seniority but also the integrity of officers is not taken into consideration while appointing retired and senior bureaucrats on key positions. The officers senior to the just appointed fourth advisor to Lieutenant Governor may not like to take orders and instructions even on trivia issues from him as the same goes against the basic principle of seniority”.
A top political leader having the distinction of holding key portfolios as minister almost three times in last twenty years on conditions of anonymity told Kashmir Horizon “appointing retired officers who have been at the centre of controversies in key corruption cases in yesteryears shows the central government’s intents on crusade against corruption. We welcome the government on unearthing new corruption cases but shelving key corruption cases related to land grabbing and misappropriation of public funds is highly condemnable “.