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The Hindu
26-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Farmers of Hanur Taluk in Karanataka seek Coimbatore administration's support to trace map of erstwhile water body
Farmers belonging to Hanur taluk in Chamarjanagar district of Karnataka State have sought the help of the Coimbatore district administration to trace the map of a 40-acre water body at Doddadevarahalli hamlet in Martalli Village Panchayat that had existed in pre-Independence era. Kollegal taluk, out of which Hanur taluk was carved later, was part of the composite Coimbatore district during the British regime. Down the decades, the water body was subsumed in the reserve forest area. The map is crucial for the team as the Forest Department in Karnataka had reportedly expressed readiness to revive the water body on furnishing of proper records. A team of farmers had initially approached the Erode district administration and carried out an extensive search in the sub-registrar office in Gobichettipalayam, but were not able to trace the records. They were, in turn, directed to the District Record Centre at Perur in Coimbatore district. The water body was crucial for livelihood of residents in 17 hamlets including Doddadevarahalli, Kadambur, Makaralli and Elachikarai in the surroundings, Arputharaj, a team member said. The team has in its possession a document pertaining to 1915 that had been preserved for generations. The document states about the existence of the water body at the time when Coimbatore district had the jurisdiction over Kollegal prior to demarcation of boundaries on linguistic basis, after the British era. The cause of the team that has been looking for records from Tamil Nadu that would corroborate the particulars in the document in their possession was espoused at the monthly farmers' grievance redressal meeting by a senior functionary of Annur-based Kongu Ilaignar Peravai Palanisamy. District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, who chaired the meeting, assured the members to trace out the map from the District Record Centre. According to the Archives Department, the Coimbatore District Record Office established in 1982 preserves records of administrative and historical importance which are more than 30 years old. A total of 38,741 records belonging to Revenue, Education, Forest, Local Administration and other departments are preserved. Public welfare organisations in Hanur have been emphasising on revival of the water body for about a decade, and the farmers have been actively pursuing the issue for the last two years, in the wake of acute water shortage. The residents who are pre-dominantly Tamil-speaking people find themselves in a situation of sourcing water from borewells dug to a depth in excess of 900 metres. 'The salt content in the water is causing various ailments,' Mr. Arputhasamy said. At present, the site of the erstwhile water body looks like a shrunken pond. Fortunately for the residents, the Forest Department is not averse to restoring the water body. The revival of water body will pave way for laying a pipeline for sourcing Cauvery water from within a 16-km distance whereby the aquifer level would also rise, Mr. Arputhasamy said.
Hans India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Ashok Khemka Retires After 34 Years and 57 Transfers in IAS
Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, known for challenging corruption in public service, retires on Wednesday after over three decades in the Indian Administrative Service. His final posting was as Additional Chief Secretary in Haryana's Transport Department, a position he held since December 2024. A 1991-batch officer of the Haryana cadre, Khemka drew widespread national attention in 2012 for annulling the mutation of a land transaction in Gurugram linked to Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The cancellation placed him under the spotlight amid political controversy. Khemka's 34-year career is notable for a record 57 transfers, averaging approximately one transfer every six months, reflecting his frequent clashes with the system. He was often assigned to departments lacking political sensitivity or perceived as less influential, including four postings to the Archives Department. In 2023, he wrote to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar requesting a posting in the Vigilance Department, expressing a willingness to lead an anti-corruption initiative. In his letter, Khemka pledged to take decisive action without exception, asserting that corruption needed to be tackled without favor. His academic background includes a in Computer Science from IIT Kharagpur, a PhD from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, an MBA in Finance and Business Administration, and an LLB from Panjab University, the latter pursued while in service. Khemka voiced concerns in 2023 over unequal work distribution within the bureaucracy, noting that ineffective deployment of officers hindered public service. He cited the imbalance during his tenure in the Archives Department, pointing out the minimal workload assigned to him, while others handled multiple portfolios. Responding to the promotions of his peers to secretary-level positions in the Government of India, Khemka commented via social media that while he congratulated them, the moment also brought personal disappointment. He shared a metaphor, "Straight trees are always cut first," emphasizing his continued commitment to integrity. Over the past decade, particularly during the BJP-led government, Khemka was frequently placed in roles away from the power centers of policy implementation. His previous stint in the Transport Department lasted only four months nearly ten years ago. Born on April 30, 1965, in Kolkata, Khemka exits the civil service on his 60th birthday, marking the end of a tenure characterized by administrative turbulence and consistent focus on transparency.
