Srinagar, November 30: In a massive administrative change ordered by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Arshid Ahmad Lone, who has been serving as the Chief Accounts Officer (CAO) of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), has been transferred and posted as the Chief Pay & Accounts Officer (CP&AO) to the Chief Engineer, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. (KPDCL).
This transfer was part of a comprehensive reshuffle detailed in Government Order No. 321-F of 2025, which was issued on Saturday.
According to officials in the SMC, Arshid Ahmad Lone is known in administrative circles as a people-friendly, dedicated, and hardworking officer.
They stated that, during his tenure as CAO, the SMC is understood to have achieved new heights in financial management and fiscal discipline, which helped pave the way for improved municipal services and greater transparency in civic finance.
“His commitment to efficiency earned him the responsibility of holding the additional charge of Chief Accounts Officer for the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA). We wish him all the best for his future posting,” an official said.
In his new role at KPDCL, the power distribution arm for Kashmir, Arshid is expected to play a crucial role in streamlining the financial operations of the corporation.
Given the critical importance of the power sector to public life and infrastructure, the government’s decision to entrust this responsibility to an officer of his reputation highlights confidence in his ability to ensure robust accounting and payments processes. He replaces Altaf Hussain Hajam at this key KPDCL post.
In related transfers, among dozens of others, Altaf Hussain Hajam, whom Arshid replaces, has been posted as Chief Accounts Officer, District Fund Office, Srinagar. The additional charge Arshid was holding at the SDA has been taken over by Aasiya Drabu, who is now the Financial Advisor/CAO, Srinagar Development Authority.
