Journalism of Courage
The Haryana government has initiated another probe against senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka. This one covers alleged irregularities in the award of tenders during Khemka’s tenure as managing director of the Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC).
Documents accessed by The Indian Express show that HSWC’s current managing director, Ramesh Krishan, has directed branch officers to submit details of payments released during Khemka’s tenure. Though the communication does not specify Khemka’s name, the period for which details have been sought coincide with his tenure.
The subject of the probe is alleged irregularities in the purchase of galvalume sheets for roofing food storage godowns in 2009. During his tenure, HSWC had purchased galvalume sheets worth Rs 8 crore from a Gujarat firm.
When contacted, Krishan said: “I do not exactly remember if any such communication has been issued by my office. The communication must have been based on some reference from the state government. If you have the copy of the letter, then you know why such details have been sought. Why do you want me to say it?”
The Haryana government has allegedly begun hounding Khemka ever since he cancelled the mutation of a land deal between the real estate giant DLF Universal Ltd and Skylark Hospitality Ltd, a company owned by Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra. Khemka was posted as director general (Consolidation of Land Holdings) at that time. He was shunted out and moved to the archives department.
Since then, he has been going through a rough patch. Two Vigilance probes are on against him and the state government has issued him a chargesheet for major penalty. Besides, he is facing two criminal cases and a case before the SC/SC Commission and a civil suit in the Panchkula court. According to official sources, the state government is also in the process of serving another chargesheet for major penalty to Khemka and CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already given his approval for it.
“This is nothing but witch-hunting by the government. I have always performed my duties with honesty and diligence. The policies I initiated during my stint in HSWC have been adopted by the Union government this year,” said Khemka.
