Srinagar, Aug 5: The union government has recalled Jammu & Kashmir’s Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department, Ranjan Prakash Thakur, to a central government assignment about four-and-a-half months after his posting here.
In an appointment order issued by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Department of Personnel & Training, a copy of which has been obtained by Ziraat Times, Ranjan Prakash Thakur, IRTS (90) has been appointed as CVO, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), Delhi.
Without any reference to his existing posting in Jammu & Kashmir, the order says that ‘the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Ranjan Prakash Thakur, IRTS (90) as CVO, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), Delhi under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas with pay at level 14 (Rs.1,44,200 — 2,18,200/-) of the pay matrix, for an initial period of 3 years, from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.’
Interestingly, neither Jammu & Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor, nor the Chief Secretary are copied in the order copy. Top officials in J&K government say that it is very much possible that senior J&K government functionaries have been notified separately. There is a view that since the Chairman, Railway Board, M/o Railways, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi has been requested in the latest order to relieve the officer to take up his new assignment, in effect, that could mean that the officer has not been relieved from the Railway Board till date for his J&K assignment.
Pertinently, those who are copied in the order include: Prime Minister’s Office (PS to Principal Secretary to PM, PS to Additional Principal Secretary to PM, PS to Secretary to PM); Cabinet Secretariat (Dr. Amandeep Garg, Joint Secretary); PS to MOS(PP); The Chairman, Railway Board, M/o Railways, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi with the request to relieve the officer immediately to take up his new assignment and the Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission, Satarkata Bhawan, GPO Complex, Block-A, INA, New Delhi-110023 with reference to their O.M. No.020-CV0-1(09)-451021 dated 14.05.2020.
Mr Thakur was appointed as Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department on 24 February, 2021, His appointment to the post had come after LG Sinha had asked the Union Home Ministry to help select highly-rated officers to assist him in his work in J&K.
An alumnus of Delhi’s prestigious St Stephen’s college, IIFT and IIM Indore, he was Executive Director (Fuel Transportation) at NPTC, PS to then I&B Minister Ambika Soni, ADG Doordarshan (DTH), and Brand Head, Shatabdi Express.
