Transferred 53 Times, IAS Officer Ashok Khemka Says Reward for Honesty is Humiliation

Chandigarh: Ashok Khemka, an IAS officer who has been transferred about 50 times in his career, on Wednesday reacted strongly to his latest posting, saying the reward for honesty is humiliation.

The Haryana government on Wednesday issued transfer orders to 14 IAS officers, including Khemka.

"Phir tabadla (transferred again)," the 1991-batch officer tweeted. "Same thing again. Constitution Day was celebrated yesterday. Today, the orders and rules of the Supreme Court were violated yet again. Some will be pleased," the tweet in Hindi said.

"The reward for honesty is humiliation," he added.

This is the 53rd transfer of Khemka, considered an upright officer in the administrative circle. He was posted as Principal Secretary in Haryana's Science and Technology Department only in March. His next assignment is Principal Secretary, Archives, Archaeology and Museums Department, according to an official statement.

This was the first major administrative reshuffle ordered by the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party government after it came to power about a month ago. The transfers are with immediate effect.

Khemka came into the limelight in 2012 when he cancelled the mutation of a land deal between Skylight Hospitality, which is linked to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, and major real estate developer DLF.

Over four years ago, Khemka had termed another transfer painful. He had then been moved from the state's transport department.

"Tried hard to address corruption and bring reforms in Transport despite severe limitations and entrenched interests. Moment is truly painful," he had then tweeted.

Seven of the 14 IAS officers reshuffled on Wednesday are of the rank of additional chief secretary. Their departments included Excise and Taxation, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Mines and Geology, Public Works, Civil Aviation, Industries and Commerce, Food and Consumer Affairs and Finance and Planning.