Srinagar: The Government of India on Thursday approved the appointment of Financial Commissioner, Finance, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta as Jammu and Kashmir’s new chief secretary.
The Home Ministry has approved the appointment of Mehta, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch, as JK’s new chief secretary after BVR Subrahmanyam was moved to New Delhi and posted as officer on special duty (OSD) in the Commerce Ministry. Subrahmanyam will take over as Commerce Secretary on June 30.
A non-controversial IAS officer, Mehta has held key bureaucratic positions in Jammu and Kashmir and at New Delhi during his 33-year bureaucratic career.
He has held key field postings in J&K including deputy commissioner Baramulla, additional deputy commissioner Jammu and sub- divisional magistrate Basholi.
He served as deputy commissioner of Baramulla between May 19, 1994 to April 19, 1997 when militancy was at its peak in J&K.
He also served as power secretary of Jammu and Kashmir before proceeding on central deputation. He served as additional secretary in the Ministry of Environments, Forests and Climate Change.
After returning to JK in 2018, Mehta helmed the Finance department and took several initiatives to fast-track the development process and bring accountability and transparency in governance.
In April 2020, Mehta was empaneled as secretary to the Government of India.
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