12 more officers appointed as district mentors in J&K amid border tensions

In view of the prevailing situation along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu & Kashmir, the Union Territory Government has appointed 12 more officers—9 from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), one from Indian Forest Service (IFS) and two from the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS)—as District Mentors across various regions of the Union Territory.

On Thursday, eight IAS officers were deputed to eight districts as mentors. These officers are tasked with overseeing administrative preparedness and supporting local governance in light of heightened tensions along the western border.

Shantmanu (IAS:1991:AGMUT), Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Higher Education Department, has been appointed as the mentor for Srinagar district. H Rajesh Prasad (IAS:1995:AGMUT), Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, will oversee Budgam, while Santosh Dattatraya Vaidya (IAS:1998:AGMUT), Principal Secretary, Finance Department, has been deputed to Pulwama.

Brij Mohan Sharma (IFoS:1995:AGMUT), Principal Secretary, Department of Culture, has been assigned to Ramban, and Saurabh Bhagat (IAS:2002:AGMUT), Commissioner/Secretary, Science and Technology Department, will mentor Ganderbal district. Sheetal Nanda (IAS:2006:AGMUT), Commissioner/Secretary, Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, has been appointed for Udhampur.

Neeraj Kumar (IAS), Administrative Secretary, Transport Department, will serve as the mentor for Kulgam, while Prasanna Ramaswamy G (IAS:2010:AGMUT), Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, has been assigned to Shopian.

Additionally, Talat Parvez Rohella (IAS:2010:AGMUT), Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring Department, will oversee Doda, and Mohammad Aijaz (IAS:2012:AGMUT), Secretary, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department, has been assigned to Kishtwar.

Two JKAS officers are also part of the new mentor appointments. Zubair Ahmad, Commissioner/Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, will mentor Anantnag district, while Babila Rakwal, Commissioner/Secretary, Cooperative Department, has been appointed for Reasi.