Abdul Qayoom Mir:A People-Centric Administrator and a Rare Public Servant of Pirpanjal 

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL 

SAHIL HAMID RAJOURI 

RAJOURI FEBRUARY 15:-In regions like Pirpanchal—where geography is harsh, institutions are closely scrutinized, and public memory is long—governance is ultimately judged not by files processed or posts held, but by lived experience. It is within this demanding social and political landscape that the administrative and public life of Abdul Qayoom Mir acquires enduring significance. His journey illustrates how authority, when exercised with humility and accessibility, can mature into lasting public trust.

With more than a decade of service under the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Mir’s career spanned departments that directly shaped everyday life. His long tenure as Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies (2005–2014) placed him at the core of public welfare, where issues of food security, pricing, and transparency test both competence and integrity. As Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Thannamandi (2015–2017), he functioned at the grassroots of administration, engaging daily with public grievances, law and order challenges, and development needs in a socially sensitive region.

This grounded style of administration was not accidental. His educational roots in Government Higher Secondary School, Rajouri, and Government Degree College, Poonch (Class of 1981) explain much of his organic connection with Pirpanchal. These formative institutions shaped an administrator who understood the region not as a temporary assignment, but as a shared social reality—one requiring empathy, cultural awareness, and patience rather than mere procedural control.

His subsequent assignments—as Collector, Land Acquisition & Defence ACR, Rajouri, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri (2017–2018), and Assistant Commissioner Development, Poonch (2018–2020)—expanded his responsibilities into some of the most complex domains of governance. These roles involved land rights, defence coordination, and rural development in hilly and underserved areas. As Project Manager, IWMP, Poonch, he was also associated with sustainable development initiatives critical for Pirpanchal’s fragile ecology and livelihoods.

Yet, what truly distinguished Abdul Qayoom Mir was not merely the range of offices he held, but the manner in which he conducted himself while holding them. During his service, his public-friendly behaviour made him exceptionally popular among the people. So deep was this connection that whenever he was transferred from one place of posting to another, the local population would often come out in protest—demanding that the transfer orders be revoked and that their “own officer” be allowed to continue. Such spontaneous public agitation—rare in bureaucratic history—was not driven by politics, but by affection, trust, and lived experience of fair administration.

This level of acceptance created something unusual in public service: trust that did not end with tenure. In a system where many officers equate distance with authority, Mir chose engagement. He remained accessible, listened patiently, and treated public interaction as a core administrative responsibility rather than an inconvenience. As a result, his relevance did not diminish after retirement—it grew.

This trust first became politically visible when his daughter-in-law won the BDC Chairman election. That victory was widely perceived as a reflection of the goodwill and credibility Mir had built over decades—goodwill rooted in fairness, responsiveness, and humane conduct rather than influence or pressure.

Subsequently, the same reservoir of public confidence was reaffirmed when Abdul Qayoom Mir himself won the District Development Council (DDC) election in Pirpanchal. The people’s support was not driven by slogans or temporary alignments, but by memory—memory of an officer who had resolved issues without arrogance, who remained approachable, and who governed with balance. His DDC success thus represented continuity of trust rather than a sudden political ascent.

Currently, Mir serves as Administrator / Executive Officer, Waqf Board, District Rajouri, a role that demands legal clarity, administrative restraint, and moral authority. Waqf institutions are deeply tied to community confidence, and their management requires transparency and sensitivity. His appointment reflects sustained institutional faith in his judgment and integrity.

Beyond formal administration, his contribution to the Pahari movement for Scheduled Tribe status stands as a consequential social intervention. By lending seriousness, institutional understanding, and strategic clarity to a long-pending demand, he helped translate collective aspiration into constitutional recognition—an achievement with lasting implications for social justice and representation.

In an era increasingly marked by bureaucratic detachment, Abdul Qayoom Mir’s public life reinforces a simple but powerful lesson: governance earns legitimacy through presence, not protocol; through service, not symbolism