Ashok Khemka, who took on Robert Vadra, may get role in Modi's PMO

CHANDIGARH: Whistle-blowing IAS officer Ashok Khemka, transferred 44 times in 23 years of his career for refusing to kowtow to powers-that-be, was on Tuesday approved by the civil services board for Central government deputation upon his request after his annual confidential reports marked his overall performance 'outstanding'.
Khemka's name would now be included in the Centre's offer list and sent to different ministries. Sources said he's likely to be picked up by the Prime Minister's Office.

Khemka, 49, whose name was off the list because of a chargesheet by the Haryana government to chastise him for his cancelling Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's controversial land deal with DLF, was cleared by the civil services board headed by Union Cabinet secretary, stating there was no corruption angle in the chargesheet.

Haryana government sources said a number of attempts were made in the past two years to tarnish Khemka's image by ordering inquiries against him. He was sent to Haryana's archives department after he cancelled the Vadra-DLF land deal.

Khemka had applied for Central deputation on March 15 this year but failed to get clearance from the vigilance department. The 1991 batch IAS officer then approached the department of personnel and training (DoPT) and accused the Hooda government of not assessing his performance appraisal report for the period when he cancelled the mutation of land deal between Vadra and DLF in 2012.

He also gave details of his outstanding grading between 2007-08 and 2011-12 saying his performance was not assessed between April 1, 2012, and October 15, 2012. Sources said the civil services board discussed these factors did not find any serious charge against him.

Reacting to his name being cleared, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy posted a comment on his Facebook page saying, "Honesty does have value! You might remember IAS officer Ashok Khemka who took action against corruption of Mr Robert Vadra. You might also remember the Haryana govt replaced him with a succession of IAS officers like Yudhvir Singh... And you might also remember that AAP gave Lok Sabha ticket to same Yudhvir Singh as a reward for saving Vadra." Saying Khemka is honest, Swamy added, "Modi Sarkar has recommended his appointment at the Centre."

The Vadra-DLF land deal

Robert Vadra's company Skylight Hospitality had purchased around three acres in Shikohpur village of Gurgaon for Rs 7.5 crore in 2008. After some time, Haryana's town planning department issued a letter of intent to set up a commercial colony on 2.71 acres of this land.

In 2008, Skylight and DLF had inked an agreement to sell the three acres to DLF for Rs 58 crore. The sale deed of the land was registered in favour of DLF in 2012.

On October 15, 2012, as then director general of land consolidation department,
Khemka cancelled the mutation of land deal on grounds that the assistant consolidation officer, who had sanctioned the change of title in the revenue record in favour of DLF, wasn't competent to do so.

But, the Hooda government chargesheeted Khemka alleging he had wrongly cancelled the mutation.

Timeline

2010: Khemka is empanelled for Central deputation

2012: Cancels mutation of Vadra-DLF land deal

2013: Hooda govt chargesheets Khemka for 'wrongly' cancelling Vadra deal

March '14: Khemka applies for Central deputation

April '14: Haryana forwards his name to Centre

April '14: Centre's offer list doesn't include his name

July '14: Centre clears Khemka for deputation

Trying to leash a whistleblower

*Chargesheet 1: Haryana govt in 2013 chargesheeted Khemka for "wrongly" canceling the mutation of the Vadra-DLF land deal in 2012

*Chargesheet 2: Haryana CM Hooda gave in-principle approval to chargesheeting Khemka in 2013 for low sales of seeds during his tenure in the Haryana Seed Development Corporation. But the process to issue chargesheet was stalled when law department raised questions

*State Vigilance Bureau in 2013 initiated probe into the alleged irregularities in the purchase of 10,000 quintal of lentils during Khemka's tenure at HSDC

*Bureau inquired purchase of 'over-priced' weedicides for wheat by HSDC during Khemka's tenure

*CAG Audit: On Hooda government's request, CAG conducted a special audit to verify allegations of alleged violation of norms in purchase of galvalume sheets for roofing food storage in govt warehouses in 2009

*A former HSWC manager, NS Narwal approached National Scheduled Caste Commission against Khemka alleging he had victimized him in 2009