Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday has sought voluntary retirement from service, a move which comes against the backdrop of his differences with the government over recent transfers of bureaucrats.
Khanday had opposed recent bureaucratic reshuffle carried out by the state government and as a protest kept himself away from the cabinet meeting held on August 21.
59-year-old Khanday, who served as Principal Secretary to Mufti Sayeed during his term as Chief Minister in 2002, sent his papers to the state government for acceptance.
I have sought voluntary retirement. I submitted my papers yesterday (Tuesday).
— Mohammad Iqbal Khanday, Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir
He, however, refused to divulge the reasons for his action.
A 1978-batch IAS officer, Khanday was made Chief Secretary by the previous Omar Abdullah-led Government in February 2013.
He was due to retire on November 30 this year.
Khanday’s request will be taken up by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s cabinet and forwarded to the Centre.