Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din BhatIndian Administrative Service

Kulgam district, south Kashmir

Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam

Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat, IAS · 18 March 2021 to 8 January 2024

Assuming charge as Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, 18 March 2021
Photo: Srinagar Observer

Dr Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat served as Deputy Commissioner, District Magistrate, District Development Commissioner and District Election Officer of Kulgam for nearly three years, from 18 March 2021 to 8 January 2024. He succeeded Showkat Aijaz Bhat and was succeeded by Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan, IAS.

Work During the Tenure

Public health dominated the first year. He took the first COVID-19 vaccine dose publicly in April 2021, commissioned a 1,000 LPM oxygen generation plant at District Hospital Kulgam in May, and launched the Har Ghar Dastak door-to-door campaign in November. Kulgam reached 100% vaccination coverage and, in September 2022, became one of the first three districts in Jammu & Kashmir fully saturated under the AB-PMJAY SEHAT health scheme. The district also achieved 100% Aadhaar seeding of ration consumers and was declared TB-free as part of the Anantnag TB district.

Revenue and services went online. By September 2022 all 273 Jamabandis and more than 44,000 land records were digitised, making Kulgam the second district in the Union Territory to complete the exercise, and every public service was available online by January 2023. The Madadgar mobile application and the Rehbar Kulgam single-window self-employment portal were launched, and the district attained ODF Plus (Model) status under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) 2.0, for which the Lieutenant Governor presented a Certificate of Achievement in October 2023.

Other work included a tourism calendar built around the Aharbal Festival, the Aharbal Winter Carnival and the first Vasaknag Festival; a library and reading room for civil-services aspirants; the NCORD anti-narcotics drive; Mission Youth Mumkin vehicles; the evacuation of families after the July 2023 Noorabad cloudburst; and the conduct of JKSSB examinations. In April 2025 District Kulgam received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2023 in the holistic-development category, for work undertaken largely during this tenure.

Documented Initiatives

  1. Legacy: Kulgam won the PM's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2023 (received by successor, who credited him) Source
  2. Kulgam attained ODF Plus (Model) status under SBM-G 2.0 - LG's Certificate of Achievement Source
  3. Led evacuation of families after cloudburst flash floods in Noorabad villages; no casualties Source
  4. Rs 617 cr district capex; 270 Amrit Sarovars; 200+ playfields; JJM 60,289 households Source
  5. Completed digitisation of land records - 273 Jamabandis, 44,000+ records - second district in the UT; all public services online by Jan 2023 Source
  6. NCORD anti-drug drive: 35 NDPS cases, poppy destroyed on 110 kanals (Jan-Jul 2022); trained 500 resource persons for Nasha Mukt campaign; 24x7 rehab centre (27,000 affected per his interview) Source
  7. Briefed LG at inauguration of Eklavya Model Residential School (480 seats) and five smart schools for tribal children Source
  8. Opened a library-cum-reading room for civil-service aspirants Source
  9. Conducted JKSSB exams (5,500+ candidates at 25+ centres; Panchayat Secretary exam at 35 centres) Source
  10. Launched 'Madadgar' mobile app as part of the district's Digital India initiative Source
  11. Personally toured Kund valley (Razloo, Nowbugh, Waltangoo) after heavy snowfall to check snow clearance, power restoration and avalanche centres Source
  12. Created a tourism calendar: first Aharbal Festival, Aharbal Winter Carnival/Snow Festival, first Vasaknag Festival (Mar 2023); Rs 8.88 cr NABARD Hallan-Chiranbal road Source
  13. Launched 'Har Ghar Dastak' door-to-door campaign for vaccination and AB-PMJAY SEHAT saturation; CSC mobile van (Dec 2021); Kulgam among first three 100%-saturated SEHAT districts (Sept 2022) Source
  14. Mission Youth 'Mumkin' vehicles (19 in Nov 2021, 15 in May 2022); 'Rehbar Kulgam' single-window self-employment portal; DECC job fair Source
  15. Commissioned 1000 LPM oxygen generation plant at District Hospital Kulgam (100 high-flow beds) Source
  16. Took the first COVID vaccine dose publicly; drove vaccination to 100% coverage (74% of 45+ by June; 1 lakh doses by 12 Jun; degree-college counters; felicitated health workers Oct 2021) Source

News Coverage from the Period

All 656 reports from this posting