'CM has desired' file noting dumped

Senior Haryana bureaucrat Ashok Khemka, who blew the lid off the controversial land deal between Robert Vadra’s company  and DLF, has struck down an official file noting that said ‘CM has desired.’

The 1991-batch IAS officer has shot off a letter to the government saying that he is not obliged to adhere to such noting. Khemka, principal secretary, science and technology, has asked the Haryana government to clear the ambiguity with regard to such file noting.

The trigger was a note on an official file that said ‘CM has desired’ penned down by an officer on special duty in the Manohar Lal Khattar government. The whistle-blower officer put his foot down citing rules of business that run contrary to adhering such noting on files.

Such remarks on official files are a common practice in many states, including Haryana. Khemka’s response to such practices attempts to curtail extra-constitutional powers and jurisdiction often exerted by the political appointees in getting work done on priority basis from the executive.

Bureaucrats are often expected to follow instructions patronised with such noting on government files. Khemka protested in a communique to state Health Minister Anil Vij. The minister has forwarded the letter to the government to take a final call.