Haryana IAS officer Khemka promoted
CHANDIGARH: Haryana government on Friday promoted six IAS officers of the 1991 batch, including Ashok Khemka, to the post of principal secretary.
Though Khemka’s penalty chargesheet was dropped on November 4, 2015, his promotion remains conditional as there is a vigilance probe pending against him and one of his performance appraisal report (PAR) is pending for assessment.
“The promotion of Ashok Khemka shall be subject to the final assessment of his performance appraisal report for 2012-13 ( Oct 15, 2012 to March 31, 2013) as per the provisions of Rule 9 of All India Services (PAR) Rules, after the submission of report by State Vigilance Bureau in inquiry number 9 of September 5, 2013,’’ reads the promotion order issued by chief secretary DS Dhesi.
Khemka is facing an inquiry by the state vigilance bureau (VB) into the alleged irregularities committed by him in the purchase of green gram seed (moong dal) in 2013 during his stint as managing director, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation (HSDC).
The VB is probing the alleged flouting of established norms and tendering procedures in purchase of green gram seeds through a single bidder, Metro Hybrid Seeds (on outright purchase basis), and denying National Co-operative Consumer Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation (NAFED) the supply orders on consignment basis.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had heard Khemka out on October 6 and ordered that the chargesheet against him be dropped.