LG Picks Top IRTS Officer For Industrial Outreach

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has picked top Indian Railway Traffic Service officer Ranjan Prakash Thakur to help him in the Union Territory's industrial outreach.

Thakur has been appointed as "Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department," an order issued by the J-K government said on Thursday. Some weeks back, Sinha had asked the Union Home Ministry to help select highly-rated officers to assist him.

Sinha had last month announced a new industrial policy for Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at developing industries and bringing in big-time investments to the Union Territory in the next two years.

Thakur will help drive that policy. While a railways officer (IRTS, 1990 batch) who has been ED (Tourism & Catering) and Divisional

Railway Manager, Danapur, Thakur has had multiple assignments outside the railways as well. An alumnus of Delhi's prestigious St Stephen's college, IIFT and IIM Indore, he was Executive Director (Fuel Transportation) at NPTC, PS to then I&B Minister Ambika Soni, ADG Doordarshan (DTH), and Brand Head, Shatabdi Express. Alongside the appointment of Thakur, the J&K administration said IAS officer Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, who was Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department, holding additional charge of Administrative Secretary, General Administration Department and Mining Department, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department. “He (Dwivedi) shall continue to hold the charge of Administrative Secretary, Mining Department, in addition to his own duties, till further orders,” it said.