Following the demand of an enquiry by IAS officer Ashok Khemka into his chargesheet being leaked in the media, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Thursday said that it is a serious issue that the charge-sheet was leaked from the CMO and the Government will look into it.
“This should not have happened... We will look into the issue,” said the Chief Minister, while talking to the mediapersons here.
Amid the blame game between whistleblower IAS Ashok Khemka and Chief Secretary DS Dhesi about chargesheet being leaked, Manohar lal said that we should not get into blame game for this and ensure such things are not repeated.
About Haryana Government ordering a chargesheet against Khemka on account of unsold stocks of wheat seeds, the Chief Minister said that this is an old case and the chargesheet was pending since 2013. Thus, the Government decided to order chargsheet in the case of allegedly causing avoidable financial loss on account of unsold stocks of wheat seeds, he said.
The Government would act accordingly after receiving the officer’s reply, he added.
A day before, Khemka in a letter written to the Chief Minister had complained about his chargesheet being leaked by Chief Secretary DS Dhesi.
The IAS office, who is currently posted as Principal Secretary to Haryana Government, Science and Technology Department had alleged that the chargesheet was leaked in order to defame him.
Khemka had also demanded inquiry into the call details of CS office and the journalist who had reported about the chargesheet.
However, the Chief Secretary has refuted Khemka’s allegations.
Expressing his displeasure over the issue, Khemka had on Wednesday tweeted saying, “Chargesheet leaked in the media. Established procedure defiled. Is it a public trialIJ If so, then why conceal my replies.”
chargesheet dated July 1, was served on him on July 8 for allegedly causing avoidable financial loss to Haryana Seed Development Corporation (HSDC) in 2012-13 on account of unsold stocks of wheat seeds.
The move had come eight months after the State Government had dropped a chargesheet against the 1991-batch IAS officer where he was charged by the previous Congress Government with exceeding his jurisdiction as he had cancelled the mutation of a land deal between a firm owned by Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and realty major DlF.
As per the chargesheet , Khemka, as Managing Director, HSDC (October 15, 2012 to April 4, 2013) did not take much interest in liquidating the stock of certified wheat seed, resulting in about 87,000 quintals of certified wheat seed valuing Rs 22.21 crore remaining unsold.
In response to the memorandum containing the charges, Khemka, in a letter to Haryana Chief Secretary, had written that “chargesheet to a senior government officer without hearing is abnormal”.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij had came out in support of Ashok Khemka calling him "the most honest officer" and putting a question mark on the State Government ordering a chargesheet against the senior IAS officer.
Haryana-cadre IAS officer Khemka, shot to fame after the previous Congress led State Government chargesheeted and hounded him for exposing Robert Vadra-DlF land deal in the State.