52 transfers in 27 years: Is IAS officer Ashok Khemka paying a price for honesty?

Image: ANI

Ashok Khemka, an IAS officer and a whistleblower, was transferred yet again on March 5. In his career spanning 27 years, this is the Khemka’s 52nd transfer.

This raises a basic question: Why does he get transferred so frequently?

While some say it could be some people’s vested interests that result in these transfers, others suggest it is the price he pays for his honesty.

Khemka first shot to prominence in 2012 when he cancelled the mutation of a land deal between Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband and businessman Robert Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality and real estate developer DLF.

He is popular on social media for his courage to take on bigwigs of the real estate and political circuits. However, it also earned him disfavour within the government ranks and his own colleagues for calling out undue favours taken by them from time to time.

The firebrand officer also highlighted alleged corruption in a Gurugram land deal. As the Managing Director of Haryana Seeds Development Corporation Limited, he exposed several irregularities in barely five months of heading the body. He was transferred again after this.

Khemka was the Director-General of Land Consolidation and Land Records-cum-Inspector-General of Registration in Harayana government for 80 days. In this short phase, he detected alleged corruption in land deals involving transfer of panchayat land worth several crores of rupees to newly formed real estate firms.

According to reports, members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had tried to rope him in. However, he denied the offer stating he does not wish to join politics till he turns 60.

Khemka had also criticised the Haryana government for passing amendments to an Act that approved carrying out construction work in the Aravalli Hills.