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| Govt accepts Khanday's voluntary retirement | | |
Early Times Report
srinagar, Sept 2: Putting speculations to rest, the State Government on Tuesday afternoon formally accepted Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Khanday's request for voluntary retirement.
The orders came as a surprise on the General Administrative Department website.
"In pursuance of sub-rule(2) of Rule 16 of the all India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefit) Rules, 1958, read with second proviso to this Rule, sanction is hereby accorded to the voluntary retirement of Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, IAS (JK:1978), Chief Secretary, J&K, from the Indian Administrative Service with effect from 31st August, 2015 (afternoon)", reads the order vide number GAD SER 65-78IAS-96-II dated September 2 issued by commissioner Secretary GAD Gazanfar Ali.
Sources said the decision was taken following consultations between the government top brass including Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and Amitabh Mattoo, who is the advisor to the government.
Sources said the government found asking Khanday to reconsider his decision futile as since September 1 he had not attended office.
Sources close to Khanday said his differences with government reached point of no return when his request to defer the August 21 Cabinet meeting was turned down. An infant had died at Khanday's nephew's family due to which had sought his inability to attend the meeting.
"He (Khanday) has already lost his son in accident. Death of male infant in his brother's family left him emotionally weak and he was crying bitterly. He had honestly requested the government to defer the meet but as the meeting was held in his absence and without his consultation, he thought enough is enough," sources said.
While the general perception being created by media houses in Srinagar is that Khanday had differences with BJP ministers, sources said a coterie within the PDP equally intrigued to see his ouster either by hook or crook.
A PDP minister in the cabinet, who in the past has remained a government official subordinate to Khanday, is accused of having played the "dirty role". "He conspired against Khanday only to settle personal scores with him," the sources said.
The sources said this minister has been trying to persuade the party leadership to give nod to Khanday's decision on voluntary retirement.
Sources said Khanday's relation with the government faced major hiccup in July over appointment of members for the Public Service Commission when Khanday was allegedly asked to give clearance for the members without requisite scrutiny of their character and conduct.
Governor NN Vohra had sought relevant documents like 'non-involvement certificate' and Vigilance clearance of the persons to be appointed in the PSC, as a prerequisite.
Sources said Khanday was reluctant to do it as some of the members had a "shady past and separatist connections." "But Khanday's resistance was snubbed by some of the ministers who warned him that cases already registered against him in various courts would be reopened and he would be put to serious trial," the sources said.
Thereafter, the Cabinet meeting held on August 21 proved disastrous. "Khanday was asked not to poke his nose into any of the transfers even for the sake of advice. This was a major embarrassment for the Chief Secretary and he tactfully skipped the meet," they said.
Khanday, as per his colleagues, is the first Chief Secretary to seek premature retirement over his differences with the government. Though in 2008 BR Kundal too had gone for voluntary retirement, it was because the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad reportedly wanted him in the Congress.
An IAS officer of the 1978 batch, Khanday was appointed as Chief Secretary on February 18, 2013 during the National Conference-Congress ruling alliance headed by Omar Abdullah. |
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