Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said the transfer of whistleblower IAS Ashok Khemka was done on administrative grounds and added that it was a routine process.
"He has been transferred on administrative grounds. It is a routine transfer. Depending on the need, officers are transferred. It is a routine process," Khattar said.
Khemka's name figured in the list of nine IAS officers, who were transferred earlier on Wednesday evening. This is Khemka's 46th transfer in his 22 years of service as an IAS officer. The latest transfer comes just four months after Khemka was appointed Haryana's Transport Commissioner.
Upset over being transferred yet again, Khemka had yesterday expressed how painful the moment was for him.
"Tried hard to address corruption and bring reforms in Transport despite severe limitations and entrenched interests. Moment is truly painful," he tweeted.