JAMMU, Dec 1: Senior IAS officer Atal Dulloo officially took charge as the new Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, succeeding Arun Kumar Mehta, who retired at the end of November. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order on Wednesday appointing Dulloo, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Union Territories of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory Cadre, to the position.
Dulloo, a B.Tech graduate from Jammu and Kashmir, received a warm welcome from hundreds of civil secretariat employees. Leading IAS officers presented bouquets to him, and he was escorted to his office chamber. Known for his cordial style of functioning, Dulloo has a track record of effective public service.
Before his central deputation, Dulloo served as the financial commissioner of the Agriculture Production Department in J&K and additional chief secretary of the Finance Department. He played a crucial role in expanding medical infrastructure during the coronavirus pandemic as the financial commissioner of the Health Department. Dulloo is credited with the formulation of the prestigious Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP).
Having received the state award for meritorious public service in 2013, Dulloo is the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to occupy the top slot in the UT’s bureaucracy since 2017. His tenure follows B R Sharma’s from 2015-17. With experience as a sub-Divisional Magistrate in Ladakh and deputy commissioner in three J&K districts, Dulloo brings a wealth of administrative expertise to his new role.
While the term of panchayats is set to end early next year, elections to these rural local bodies are expected to be delayed. Dulloo’s appointment comes after his brief tenure as the secretary of the Department of Border Management under the Home Ministry, and he is poised to lead the administrative affairs of Jammu and Kashmir effectively.
