Haryana Government on Thursday issued transfer and posting orders of seven IAS officers including Ashok Khemka, who was waiting for posting orders since last three months after his promotion to the rank of principal secretary in January.
The 1991 batch IAS officer Khemka, who was posted as Director General, Archaeology and Museums has been transferred to Science and Technology as Principal Secretary.
The whistleblower IAS officer Khemka had last week expressed his dissatisfaction over the delay in posting after his promotion. In a tweet, Khemka had wrote, “Awaiting posting on promotion for last 3 months. Holding a lower rank post is humiliating. like a lt Gen forced to hold post of Brigadier.”
“20 months as Director Archives and now 12 months as Director Archaeology. Stability in lower ranks. It’s my way or the highway,” he had posted two days back.
Following this, Health Minister Anil Vij had raised the issue of posting of Ashok Khemka with Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar. Tagging Ashok Khemka in his tweet, Vij wrote: “I have talked to CM regarding posting of Ashok Khemka. He has assured it will be done in a day or two.”
Khemka had hit national headlines in October 2012 when he cancelled the mutation of a `58-crore land deal between Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and realty giant DlF and ordered a probe into controversial land deals in Haryana.
The senior IAS officer’s actions even attracted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention in his speeches during the Haryana Assembly elections in October 2014.
Khemka was expected to get an important assignment after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Haryana in October 2014. However, he was transferred to Archaeology and Museums Department from Transport Department last year.
Meanwhile, other IAS officers who were transferred on Thursday included Dhanpat Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Science and Technology, posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Education and Research.
Anil Malik, Chief Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board has been posted as Principal Secretary, Fisheries, relieving Varinder Singh Kundu of the said charge while IAS Apoorva Kumar Singh has been posted as Principal Secretary, Technical Education.
Abhilaksh likhi has been posted as Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, relieving Varinder Singh Kundu of the said charge. In addition, he will also hold the charge of Director General and Principal Secretary, Information, Public Relations and Cultural Affairs, languages and Grievances and Hospitality.
IAS Neerja, awaiting orders of posting, has been posted as Secretary, Personnel, Training, Vigilance and Parliamentary Affairs and Director, Training (Ex-officio). A Sreenivas, awaiting orders of posting, has been posted as Managing Director, Haryana Electronics Development Corporation (HARTRON), relieving Vijayendra Kumar of the said charge, and as Director, Supplies and Disposals, in addition, against a vacant post.