Srinagar: Former Director General of Police Prisons, P L Gupta, was on Tuesday appointed as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and former bureaucrat Gazzanfar Hussain as Vigilance Commissioner.

“In exercise of the powers vested in me under Section 4(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission Act, 201 1 (Act No. 1 of 201 I), I, N.N. Vohra, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, hereby appoint P.L. Gupta, IPS (Retd.) as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner in the State Vigilance Commission,” reads an SRO issued here by the government.

The appointment of  P.L. Gupta shall take effect from the date he assumes charge of the post in the State Vigilance Commission, it said.

 Similarly, a separate SRO announced appointment of  Gazanffar Hussain as CV.

Soon after receiving the file on the appointment of Gupta and Hussain, the governor had raised certain queries. The state government, sources said, responded to the “satisfaction” of the governor.

Both Gupta and Gazzanfar were cleared to be appointed as CVC and VC in a high-level meeting in August this year. Besides Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, the panel comprised leader of largest opposition party, National Conference Omar Abdullah, deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh and Law minister Abdul Haq Khan.

Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission has been defunct since March this year after the then only VC, Gous-un-Nissa Jeelani attained retirement after the superannuation of former CVC, Kuldeep Khoda and one of the Vigilance Commissioner, RK Jerath on February 21 this year.

Gupta is an IPS officer of 1984 batch and the high-level panel choose him over two retired IAS officers, Ashok Kumar Angurana and Sonali Kumar, who were also shortlisted by the government for the coveted post.

 Gazzanfar, retired from services on superannuation on April 30 this year. During his tenure, he held prized postings and served as deputy commissioner Anantnag, divisional commissioner Kashmir and administrative secretary of several key departments including General Administration, Higher Education, Health, Labour and Employment and Social Welfare. He has held positions of special secretary Home and commissioner Sales Tax.

Guest