The long and short of IAS officer Ashok Khemka's career

Chandigarh, Apr 2: Whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who was transferred to Museum and Archaeology department for his 47th posting, has seen his maximum tenure during his 22-year-long career last no more than 18 months and the shortest just 11 days.

A 1991 batch IAS officer, Khemka, who has a doctorate in Computer Science besides a Master's degree in Economics and an MBA degree, was shifted to the new department by the Haryana government yesterday as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle.

The first two years are spent by IAS officers in training. Khemka, who expressed his pain over being transferred from the post of Commissioner-Secretary Haryana Transport department, saw his first posting last 11 months in Land and Revenue department in 1993 which was followed by a short tenure of a month in Agriculture and Cooperative department.

Khemka, who will turn 50 this month end, had tweeted early this morning after being shifted from Transport department to say he "tried hard to address corruption and bring reforms in Transport despite severe limitations and entrenched interests.

Moment is truly painful." During his career, Khemka had a 16-month-long tenure in Land Revenue Management and district administration after which he was shifted to Human Resources Development in Hissar for four months and later to technical education for one month and education for six months, according to official records.

His tenure in Personnel and General Administration in March 1999 continued for nine months but was transferred within 11 days of his promotion as Joint Secretary from the same department.

During his postings and transfers, Khemka, who shot into limelight after he questioned Robert Vadra's land deals in Haryana, has served 10 times in Land Revenue department in various capacities including the last one as Director General (Consolidation land holding) for a little over seven months days from July 18, 2012.

His longest tenure has been in Culture and Archives Administration, a department under Archives and Archaeology where he served around 18 months.

BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar, after assuming office as Chief Minister in October last, brought Khemka as Commissioner- Secretary on November 21, 2014.

However, BJP, which made Khemka's report on land deals of Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a campaign issue during Haryana Assembly polls , shifted him again yesterday.

PTI