No transfer for Khemka! Order to be effective only during poll duty

Under fire over its announcement that charge of senior Indian Administrative Service officer Ashok Khemka's post has been temporarily given to another officer, the Haryana government on Thursday clarified that this will be effective only when he proceeds on poll duty.

The clarification put out by Chief Secretary P K Chaudhery through an official statement said that seven IAS officers and one HCS officer had been named for election duty and other officers were given additional charge of the duties held by them.

The statement said that the officers had only been given an additional charge, which would be effective only when Khemka and six other IAS officers and one HCS officers proceed on poll duty and for the period for which they remain on such assignment.

Khemka, a 1991 IAS officer, who hit the headlines last year when he cancelled mutation of Robert Vadra-DLF land deal as Haryana's Town and Country Planning head, had on Wednesday said that he had not proceeded on any election duty and therefore he had not handed over his present charge to anyone.    

In a minor reshuffle announced on Tuesday, the Haryana government had announced posting of Pradeep Kasni, secretary to the Haryana administrative reforms department as secretary Haryana archives department and director general, archives, Haryana in addition to his present duties "during the period of election duty of Ashok Khemka."

Khemka had told reporters that he was on leave since last Saturday till Wednesday and had never relinquished his charge and had in fact joined his duty.