Haryana govt rapped for questioning IAS officer Khemka’s ‘integrity’

Wednesday 27th March 2019 06:30 EDT
 
 

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has said that senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka's “integrity is beyond doubt” and needs to be protected from the damage being done to his career. The remarks came in direct contrast to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar remarks regarding Khemka's performance appraisal report. A division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Kuldip Singh said, “We are of the view that a person of such professional integrity needs to be protected as the professional integrity in our political, social and administrative system is depleting very fast.”

The court also said, “Since number of such officers whose integrity is beyond doubt and who have professional integrity of higher standard is depleting very fast, therefore, they need protection from being damaged by recording adverse remarks against the record.” Khemka had sought to expunge the adverse remarks made by Khattar in his annual performance appraisal report (PAR) of the year 2016-17 and restoration of the overall grade of 9.92 as was given by the Reviewing Authority. The officer was represented by advocate Shreenath A Khemka in the matter before the high court as well as the Central Administrative Tribunal, which in December 2018 had dismissed his application saying the accepting authority, who happens to the State Chief Minister, wrote the appraisal report within the limit prescribed under the rules.

The division bench while setting aside the CAT order said, “The remarks of the Accepting Officer and the grading of 9.00 given by the Accepting Authority are hereby set aside and the opinion given by the Reviewing Authority is restored. The grading of 9.92 given by the Reviewing Authority is also restored and will prevail upon the grading given by the Reporting Authority.” The bench further added, “some of the matters are better understood than said in expressed words.”

It also said, “The severe constraints in which an honest and upright officer works under the political leadership are well known. There are so many pulls and pressures and the officer has to work according to the rules despite all these pulls and pressures. The Reviewing Authority has recorded that the petitioner is well known in the country for effective professional integrity under very difficult circumstances.”


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