MCD gets new boss: Who is Sanjeev Khirwar, the IAS officer once shunted for clearing Delhi stadium to walk his dog?

IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar

• Sanjeev Khirwar appointed as new Municipal Commissioner of Delhi
• Khirwar returns after 2022 transfer over stadium dog-walking controversy
• He replaces Ashwani Kumar, who moves to Jammu and Kashmir

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Senior IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar has been appointed as the new Municipal Commissioner of Delhi, more than three years after he was transferred out of the capital following a controversy related to dog walking at a sports stadium. Khirwar, a 1994-batch officer of the AGMUT cadre, is expected to take charge on Thursday.

Khirwar was moved out of Delhi in 2022 after a row erupted over allegations that athletes were asked to end their training early at Thyagraj Stadium so that he and his wife could walk their dog there. At that time, Khirwar was serving as Delhi’s Principal Secretary (Revenue). His wife, Rinku Dugga, is also a 1994-batch IAS officer.

Several athletes and coaches had claimed that they were forced to stop training by 7 pm, even though they usually trained till around 8.30 pm. They alleged that the early closure disrupted their practice schedules. However, the stadium administrator then, Ajit Chaudhary, denied the claims and said that the official training time was only up to 7 pm. Khirwar also rejected the allegations, calling them “absolutely incorrect.”

Despite the denials, the issue gained wide attention, and Khirwar was later transferred to Ladakh. In Ladakh, he served as Principal Secretary and handled important departments such as health and medical education.

Earlier this month, Khirwar was transferred back to Delhi as part of a major reshuffle of IAS and IPS officers of the AGMUT cadre. He will replace Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir.

Khirwar has also served at the Centre in the past. Between 2009 and 2014, he worked as the private secretary to the Union Minister for Women and Child Development.

His wife, Rinku Dugga, was transferred to Arunachal Pradesh in 2022, where she served as Principal Secretary of the Indigenous Affairs Department. She was given compulsory retirement in September 2023.