Khursheed A Ganai appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir

Retired IAS officer Khursheed A Ganai was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Jammu and Kashmir on 27 February 2017. His appointment will take effect from the date he assumes charge of the post.

Ganai’s appointment to the post was approved by the State Governor NN Vohra in the exercise of the powers vested in him under Section 12(3) of the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009 (Act No. VIII of 2009). His name was recommended to the governor on 21 February 2017 by a selection panel headed by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Other members of the panel were former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh.

Ganai succeeds GR Sufi, who retired as CIC of the state on 29 February 2016. The state’s information commission had been non-functional since November 2016 after the retirement of its two information commissioners. The two Information Commissioner were Dr SK Sharma and Nazir Ahmed and they retired from the office in October 2015 and November 2016, respectively.

Jammu and Kashmir Information Commission

The State’s Information Commission was set up by the state government under the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009. The commission was established in February 2011 as a three-member commission.

About Khursheed A Ganai

• He in an IAS officer of 1982 batch.

• In February 2016, he was appointed as Advisor to State Governor when Governor Rule was imposed in the state following the death of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

• Earlier, Ganai has held several positions in the state as well as the central bureaucracy like home affairs and Information & Broadcasting.