Administrative Council (AC), chaired by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the proposal to wind up the Department of Stationery and Office Supplies.

The meeting was attended by Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K, and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor.

The decision was made in light of the fact that the General Financial Rules for 2017 require the purchase of common use goods and services through the GEM Portal. As a result, all departments are making purchases through the GEM Portal, rendering the Department of Stationery and Office Supplies obsolete and inoperable.

Presently, the Department is authorised to employ 5 Gazetted officers, 113 Non-Gazetted officials, and 52 Class IV employees. The Council decided to transfer its infrastructure and personnel to other government agencies as needed for optimal utilisation.