JK News Today
Srinagar, October 21: Dheeraj Gupta, 1993 batch IAS officer on Monday took over as Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at a critical juncture where his administrative acumen will serve him well as a point man between civil secretariat and Raj Bhawan. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Sh Gupta belongs to the 1993 batch of the IAS. The officer is well known for his integrity, understanding, and balanced and deft handling of complex issues. At a crucial time in J&K’s transition from a predominantly bureaucratic to a representative character of government, his rich and varied experience of more than 30 years in the Indian Administrative Service, is expected to stand him in good stead.
Gupta carries with him a wide range of experience which includes working in the Prime Minister’s Office, NITI Ayog, and Defence Ministry, in addition to key positions in the administration in Jammu and Kashmir. The officer is well known for his integrity, understanding, and balanced and deft handling of complex issues which were acknowledged by him being a recipient of “Lt Governor’s Award for Honesty, Integrity and Meritorious Public Services” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public services. His portfolio of works in Jammu and Kashmir includes Power, Housing & Urban Development, Forest & Environment, Revenue, Relief, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management departments. During his career, Gupta served as Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla & Leh Districts, CEO of Sh Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Addl CEO of Sh Amarnathji Shrine Board. Gupta was the first Commissioner/Secretary of the Relief, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Department that was created in the wake of the devastating floods of 2014. He laid a solid foundation for the new Department and negotiated and finalized the contours of the Jhelum & Tawi Flood Recovery Project with the World Bank. In the centre, he handled the transition management from Planning Commission to NITI Aayog; Restructuring of the Planning Commission, and developing the blueprint of the new Secretariat to enable the Aayog to fulfil its mandate. The officer is also a recipient of the Chief of Army Staff’s Gold Medal for the synergy that he had brought about among the civilians, administration and the army during his tenue as Deputy Commissioner of the then militancy ridden Baramulla.
It is perhaps the most crucial time as Jammu and Kashmir transitions towards the first elected government after a gap of over six years. While the situation would test the maturity and expertise of all the key stakeholders, it would be a big test for three crucial officers managing the interface between the two power centres: the Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, and the Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor.
