It seems that the change of guard at the Centre and in Haryana has not changed anything for whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka.
Barely four months after the BJP came to power in the State, Khemka was transferred on Wednesday late evening to low profile Archaeology and Museums Department.
The IAS officer is transferred for the 46th time in his 24 years bureaucratic career.
Khemka was holding charge as Transport Commissioner and Secretary, Transport Department and has now been posted as Secretary and Director General in the Archaeology and Museums Department, a posting that is considered defunct among bureaucratic circles.
During his posting in Transport Department, Khemka had tried to bring in reforms in the Department and combat corruption and his efforts are said to have led to a series of confrontations with the State Transport Minister Ram Bilas Sharma.
As Transport Commissioner, Khemka had refused to issue fitness certificates to over-sized trucks and trailers for carrying automobiles, leading to a truckers’ strike in January.
later, the truckers in Haryana withdrew their strike after the State Government gave them one year’s time to get their vehicles modified as per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989.
Khemka, in a tweet then, had said that “The choice is between road safety, protection of public property & environment on the one side and private profits on the other.”
Meanwhile, the BJP led State Government has termed the transfer as routine administrative process.
Describing IAS officer Ashok Khemka as an honest officer, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Thursday defended State Government’s order transferring Khemka.
Commenting on the transfer, the Chief Minister said that the transfer of any officer formed part of the administrative process. Every officer is deputed by the Government wherever his services are required, he added.
On the other hand, Haryana Transport Minister Ram Bilas Sharma maintained that transfer is not a punishment and stressed that it was a routine matter.
After his transfer, Khemka took to microblogging website Twitter and had posted, “Tried hard to address corruption and bring reforms in Transport despite severe limitations and entrenched interests. Moment is truly painful.”
In a series of replies to various queries on his transfer, Khemka clarified that that it is incorrect that he wanted transfer from the Transport Department and it is not seven months, but 128 days precisely after he has been transferred again.
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.
Khemka has found support from all quarters including the BJP leaders following his transfer.
lending support to the IAS officer, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said that he will take up the transfer issue with Haryana Chief Minister. The officer had worked to weed out corruption during the previous Congress regime, he said.
“Even today, I am with Ashok Khemka. I will meet the Chief Minister to talk about the transfer of Khemka,” Vij later posted on Twitter.
After the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, released last week had blamed the previous Congress-led Haryana Government for giving undue favors to Robert Vadra owned Skylight Hospitality Pvt limited, Ashok Khemka had posted a series of tweets, commenting on chargesheet filed against him and the cycle of corruption involving the triad - business, politics and bureaucracy.
“First stop license black-marketing, name &shame all who profiteered from it in past. Set up Inquiry Commission after this basic first step,” he had posted on Twitter on March 29.
Indicating towards the corruption in the Government, he had said, “Many issues untouched in CAG Report. Cycle of corruption involved the triad - business, politics and bureaucracy.”
“Black-marketing of licenses and permits to cronies is loot of public wealth. Will action be taken against the black-marketersIJ,” he said in another Tweet.
Claming victimisation, the bureaucrat had also tweeted, “My action in VADRA-DlF land-license deal vindicated in CAG report, but continue to suffer the stigma of charge sheet.”
Ashok Khemka had ordered the scrapping of Vadra-DlF land deal, saying that it was illegal. He had also marked a probe into all land deals of Vadra and his companies since 2005. But later, the IAS officer was transferred and served a charge sheet for his actions by the then Hooda Government in Haryana, which gave Vadra a “clean chit”.
The IAS officer Khemka possibly knew that yet another transfer was in the offing… He tweeted a quote from Rabindranath Tagore on March 27 saying “If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone.”
Khemka was among nine bureaucrats who were transferred by Haryana Government on Wednesday late evening.