New Delhi: The Centre swiftly moved to oversee administrative work in Jammu and Kashmir by appointing experienced bureaucrats and advisers while gearing up for what it feels will be an enhanced challenge on the security fronta day after the exit of the Mehbooba Mufti government.

A key appointment was that of B V R Subrahmanyam, who had earlier served as private secretary to former PM Manmohan Singh, as chief secretary in place of B BVyas. He will assist governor N NVohra, who sources said would not be replaced any time soon.

While Subrahmanyam, a 1987 batch IAS officer from Chhattisgarh, will be chief secretary, Vyas was appointed as adviser to Vohra along with IPS officer Vijay Kumar, who gained recognition for the operation he led against sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

The immediate focus will be on safe conduct of the AmarnathYatra as central sources said there were serious threat perceptions while it was anticipated that extremists unhappy with the unceremonious fall of the PDP-led government could step up hostile acts. The situation along the LoC and the international border has been tense and could be a fresh challenge through heightened infiltration attempts.

“The next one-and-a-half months will be focused on securing AmarnathYatra and breaking the alliance of terrorists, Hurriyat and some elements in local police, who often leak information about CASO (cordon and search operations), raids and crackdown on overground workers of terror groups,” said an official, requesting anonymity.

Speaking on the imposition of governor’s rule, Army chief Gen BipinRawat said, “We don’t think there will be any impact (on anti-terror operations). We don’t have any kind of political interference.”