Jammu, Feb 10: The cabinet meeting, which was scheduled for Monday, was postponed by the government late on Sunday evening, during the prevailing situation in the state.
Official sources told Greater Kashmir that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was scheduled to chair a crucial cabinet meeting here on Monday to take a final decision on various issues including appointment of new Chief Secretary. “However, the ministers were informed late this evening that the meeting has been postponed”, sources said.
It was understood that the final decision on the appointment of the new Chief Secretary would be delayed due to the cancellation of the meeting.
Sources claimed that the appointment of Muhammad Iqbal Khanday as the next Chief Secretary was now certain as the state government has not initiated process to recall any of the other three senior IAS officers – Parvez Dewan, Anil Goswami and Pankaj Jain. “However, the formal decision was to be taken in the cabinet meet”, they added.
“The state government was aware that the present incumbent Madhav Lal has to be relieved and it had enough time to initiate the process of recalling any of the IAS officer from the center deputation – if it wanted so”, sources said.
They added that Lal also arrived here today and was expected to hand over the charge to the new CS. However, due to the delay in appointing new CS, Lal may be asked to hand over the charge to any of the senior most IAS officer available in the state, till the formal appointment is made, they added.
When contacted, Madhav Lal said: “Formal order for the new assignment has been issued and I have to hand over the charge whenever the government appoints the new CS in the state”.
Lal, a 1997 cadre IAS officer from the state, was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir on February 1, 2011. This would be his second posting in the union ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, where he has earlier served as Additional Secretary.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
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