Omar Abdullah-led government removes Hina Shafi Bhat as Chairperson KVIB

SRINAGAR — The Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir Government has removed opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Hina Shafi Bhat as Chairperson of the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB).

She has been replaced by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who will now oversee the Board as part of his expanded responsibilities.

The government has also reconstituted the boards of five other key organizations, all of which will now be chaired by Choudhary. These include the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB), Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation, Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited, Jammu and Kashmir Industries Limited, Jammu and Kashmir Small Scale Industries Corporation Limited (SICOP), and Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Corporation Limited (SIDCO).

As Minister for Industries and Commerce, Choudhary’s portfolio aligns with the domains of these organizations, consolidating their leadership under his stewardship.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department, the newly structured KVIB will also include Administrative Secretaries from the Departments of Finance, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, and Industries and Commerce, along with the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and the Director General (Codes) from the Finance Department, as its members.