Srinagar, May 27 (IANS): J&K Chief Secretary, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, was on Thursday posted as OSD in the Union Commerce Ministry and will succeed Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan on his retirement next month-end.

An order issued by the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said: "The appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of B.V.R. Subrahmanyam IAS (CG; 87), Chief Secretary Jammu & Kashmir as officer on special duty in the Department of Commerce.

"The ACC has also approved his appointment as Secretary, Department of Commerce upon superannuation of Anup Wadhawan, IAS (UK; 85), Secretary Department of commerce on 30-06-2021."

With the shifting of Subrahmanyam from J&K, three seniormost IAS officers -- Pradip Kumar Tripathi, Sudhanshu Panday and Arun Kumar Mehta -- are front runners for the Chief Secretary's post here.

Tripathi and Panday are posted in the Centre, as Secretaries, Steel and Food and Public Distribution, respectively.

Mehta has also been elevated to the rank of Secretary and is presently posted as Financial Commissioner (Finance Department) in J&K.

Sources say Mehta is widely favoured for the top job as his honesty, integrity and grasp of administrative matters is unmatched.

"He is least talk, maximum delivery kind of a civil servant," a source at the Centre said.