Haryana’s whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s orders banning registration of diesel-run SUVs and cars having engine capacity beyond 2,000 cc in Delhi and National Capital Region till March 31.
The move aimed at curbing the alarming rise in pollution levels in the national Capital.
Ashok Khemka, who earlier held the charge as Haryana Transport Commissioner and Secretary, Transport Department tweeted, “Ban on diesel vehicle is welcome first step. Tax private vehicles and cross-subsidize mass transport vehicles. Presently, it is the opposite.”
Prior to this, the IAS officer had on December 5 posted a tweet, “To reduce auto pollution and road traffic, restrict personal and liberalise public transport. But permit and tax regimes are exact opposite.”
Currently, Secretary and Director General in the Archaeology and Museums Department in Haryana, the IAS officer has always been vocal about bringing reforms in the Transport Department.
During his tenure as Haryana Transport Commissioner, Khemka had refused to issue fitness certificates to oversized trucks and trailers for carrying automobiles, leading to a truckers’ strike in January. Khemka had tried to bring in reforms in the Department and combat corruption.
The Apex Court on Monday also barred diesel commercial vehicles, registered before 2005, from entering Delhi. With 13 districts of Haryana included in National Capital Region, 57 per cent area of the State falls in the NCR. The districts namely Gurgaon, Rewari, Faridabad, Palwal, Mewat, Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Jhajjar, Mahendergarh, Bhiwani, Karnal and Jind are included innational capital region (NCR).
Notably, the Haryana-cadre IAS officer Khemka, shot to fame after the previous Congress-led State Government chargesheeted and hounded him for exposing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra-DlF land deals in the State.