Saturday, March 29, 2025
Ashok Khemka Retires After 33 Years of Service Marked by Integrity and Courage
Chandigarh, April 30, 2025:
Ashok Khemka Retires, Haryana’s most transferred and widely respected IAS officer, retired today after 33 years of exemplary service in the Indian Administrative Service. Known for his integrity, fearlessness, and refusal to bow to political or bureaucratic pressure, Khemka leaves behind a legacy that has inspired civil servants across the country.
Currently posted as the Additional Chief Secretary in Haryana’s Transport Department, Khemka will be formally bid farewell this evening at a ceremony organized by the Haryana IAS Officers Association in Chandigarh.
A 1991-batch IAS officer, Khemka is best known for taking principled stands, often at personal cost. Over the course of his career, he was transferred 57 times—an extraordinary figure that reflects not instability but his unwillingness to compromise on ethical governance. Each transfer became a symbol of his resistance to corruption and vested interests.
Khemka gained national attention in 2012 after he cancelled a controversial land deal involving Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of then-Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The move drew both praise and criticism, but Khemka stood his ground, asserting that transparency and legality must prevail over political pressure.
Despite the challenges, Khemka remained committed to public service and administrative integrity. His work in departments like land records, transport, and education often led to policy reforms and increased accountability.
Speaking ahead of his retirement, Khemka said, “It was never an easy path, but it was the right one. I have no regrets.”
His retirement marks the end of a bold and often turbulent chapter in Haryana’s bureaucracy, but his legacy is expected to inspire generations of future officers who believe in ethical governance.
