J&K to get IAS officer Sajjan Singh Yadav as new chief secretary, will face files with CM-LG on various sites

Sajjan Singh Yadav. (Photo: X/@Sajjan95)

Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav, a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was on Saturday (October 24, 2026) transferred as Chief Secretary (CS) to Jammu and Kashmir, at a time when a significant number of files approved by the elected government are awaiting approval at the CS office for the Lt. Governor.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order stated: “With the approval of the competent authority, Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav, IAS (AGMUT:1995) is hereby transferred from Delhi to J&K and appointed as Chief Secretary, J&K with effect from 1 November 2026 or the date of accession, whichever is later.

The Center has selected an officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, even as senior officers in J&K have been lined up as likely for the SC post, including IAS officers Shaleen Kabra, Ashwani Kumar Sharma and Dheeraj Gupta.

A resident of Haryana, Mr. Yadav holds a PhD in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. He brings multi-sectoral experience having served as Mission Director, National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyan); Director, National Rural Health Mission; and Commissioner of Food and Civil Supplies, Commerce and Excise, Delhi. This year, Mr. Yadav also served as Additional General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Delhi Jal Board.

His entry into J&K comes at a time when the chief minister’s office and the lieutenant governor’s office remain at loggerheads over a number of issues, particularly their areas of work. The ruling National Conference has repeatedly accused the LG’s office of not approving the cabinet-approved files on regularization of daily betting, rationalization of reservation and finalization of Transaction of Business Rules, which remain undecided even two years after Omar Abdullah’s government ended on October 16. The LG’s office and the CM’s office also failed to reach a consensus on the names of the Advocate General and the Public Service Chief.

Current J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, who is retiring at the end of this month, is not leaving on a positive note. J&K CM Abdullah named him in the assembly as the person who recently opposed the government’s statehood resolution in the assembly. Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra also filed a privilege motion against Mr Dull and Law Minister Anchal Sethi, saying the power of the elected legislature to initiate, debate, amend and pass resolutions is a key parliamentary function.

The opposition PDP said officers are entitled to give administrative or legal advice to the government as part of their duties, “but such advice cannot be allowed to become a tool to challenge, curtail or interfere with the legislative prerogatives and powers of this House”.

Also read | PDP moves privilege motion against J&K Chief Secretary, Law Secretary

Meanwhile, ruling NC legislator Tanvir Sadiq called Mr. Dulloo a “son of the soil” and asked him to clean up the regularization file and send it to the chief minister. “Daily wagers and casual workers are waiting for regularization. Mr. Dulloo is here till November 31. He is a son of the soil. If he wants to do something for posterity and his own people, he should return the regularization component. This will enable us to meet the demand of the people of J&K. History will judge you (Mr. Dulloo) for your contribution to your own people,” said Mr. Sadiq.

Published – 24 Oct 2026 14:28 IST