Latest news with #then-BJP
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Oppn continues demand for delimitation of four-member wards as civic polls loom
1 2 Pune: Opposition parties are continuing to demand scrappage of the four-member wards system, even as the Supreme Court's latest directives have come as a welcome sign for their push to conduct long-awaited civic polls in the years, parties currently in the opposition have dubbed the system of a panel with four members per ward unfair. They claim it is politically motivated and gives the upper hand to the parties that are ruling at this system, four members are present in each ward panel and the public votes for system was first used by the then-BJP govt in 2017, and the party garnered a clear majority in the civic elections held that 2022, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt, including the (then united) NCP, (then united) Shiv Sena and Congress had put the brakes on this system and pushed for a three-member ward system option regaining power in 2024, the BJP-led Mahayuti once more began the process to reintroduce a four-member Tuesday, the SC directed for the conduct of civic polls based on the pre-2022 system, paving the way to hold elections with a four-member ward parties are protesting the same. "The four-member system gives no scope for competition. It increases the probability of victory for ruling parties. This system is not democratic, so it should be scrapped, and smaller wards should be introduced," said Ankush Kakade, state spokesperson of NCP (SP).According to the state election commission (SEC) data, no municipal corporations in Maharashtra have gone to polls since 2020. All are currently being administered by a municipal commissioner, who is also doubling up as an many as 27 civic bodies, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), are being controlled by civic officials. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has the longest-serving administrator rule, starting in April 2020. The last municipal corporation to opt for this system was Dhule, where the administrator took over the functioning in Dec tenure of the Pune (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC) municipal corporations ended in March 2022. Since then, both have been under an administrator's Congress functionary Mohan Joshi said, "The SC ruling comes as a sigh of relief for people. State govt was avoiding conducting civic polls. The ruling parties wanted to keep the civic bodies in their control by avoiding elections. Even now, they want to take undue advantage with the four-member ward system."However, BJP members said the demand for a three-member ward system is outdated now. Some said the polls will be conducted as per the old system, and the opposition's claim that this move benefits ruling parties has no basis. "The apex court's ruling has given clear directives and polls will be held as per the system introduced in 2017. The opposition claims of an unfair system are futile. The BJP and its alliances succeeded in previous civic polls due to their policies and performance," said Ujwal Keskar, a senior BJP Pimpri Chinchwad, delimitation of wards had become an important issue between BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena. During the previous MVA govt tenure, a draft proposed for holding elections to PCMC contained three-member wards, even as BJP was demanding to continue with the existing four-member wards at the Bhosale, city president of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Pimpri Chinchwad, said "Though we were demanding a three-member ward system earlier, considering that the Supreme Court has now directed EC to conduct civic polls in four months, it would not be possible to change the system completely. So, we are ready to face elections either way."(With inputs from Alim Shaikh)
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Upright' IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who cancelled the mutation of Robert Vadra's Gurugram land deal, retires
Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, widely recognised for his integrity throughout a career spanning nearly 34 years and marked by 57 postings, is set to retire on Wednesday. A 1991-batch officer from the Haryana cadre, Khemka will superannuate as Additional Chief Secretary in the Transport Department , a role he assumed in December 2024. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Nuclear Power! How India and Pakistan's arsenals stack up Does America have a plan to capture Pakistan's nuclear weapons? Airspace blockade: India plots a flight path to skip Pakistan Khemka rose to national prominence in 2012 when he annulled the mutation of a land deal in Gurugram involving Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. (In land records, a mutation refers to the process of updating ownership following a transfer.) Born in Kolkata on April 30, 1965, Khemka holds a in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (1988), a PhD in Computer Science from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and an MBA with a focus on Business Administration and Finance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hop Giang: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo While in service, he also completed his LLB from Panjab University. 57 transfers in long bureaucratic career With 57 transfers during his career, probably the highest among the state's bureaucracy, Khemka last December returned to the transport department, which is currently being handled by Minister Anil Vij. The move came nearly 10 years after he was transferred out as transport commissioner, in the first term of the then-BJP government headed by Manohar Lal Khattar. Live Events At the time of his removal, Khemka had been in the transport department for only four months. In 2023, Khemka wrote to Khattar and offered to "root out corruption" with a stint in the vigilance department. He said he had sacrificed his service career in his zeal to end corruption. After a round of promotions over two years back, Khemka tweeted: "Congratulations to my batchmates newly appointed as Secretaries to GOI! While this is an occasion for merry, it brings equal measure of despondency for one's own self having been left behind." He added, "Straight trees are always cut first. No regrets. With renewed resolve, I shall persist." In the past more than 12 years, Khemka has been posted in departments considered "low profile." Over his entire career, on average, he has been transferred about every six months.
NDTV
29-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
IAS Officer Ashok Khemka, Transferred 57 Times In His Career, Retires Tomorrow
Chandigarh: Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, known for his uprightness during his nearly 34-year career, which saw 57 postings, will be superannuating on Wednesday. The 1991-batch officer will retire as Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department. He was transferred and posted to his current job in December 2024. The Haryana-cadre IAS officer came to national limelight in 2012 when he cancelled the mutation of a Gurugram land deal linked to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra. A mutation is part of the process to transfer ownership of a piece of land. Born in Kolkata on April 30, 1965, he earned a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1988, followed by a PhD in Computer Science from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and an MBA specialising in Business Administration and Finance. While in service, he also completed his LLB from Panjab University. With 57 transfers during his career, probably the highest among the state's bureaucracy, Mr Khemka last December returned to the transport department, which is currently being handled by Minister Anil Vij. The move came nearly 10 years after he was transferred out as transport commissioner, in the first term of the then-BJP government headed by Manohar Lal Khattar. At the time of his removal, Mr Khemka had been in the transport department for only four months. In 2023, Mr Khemka wrote to Mr Khattar and offered to "root out corruption" with a stint in the vigilance department. He said he had sacrificed his service career in his zeal to end corruption. While there is not enough work in his present posting -- the Archives department (the department he then handled) -- some officers are overloaded with multiple charges and departments, due to which they are always firefighting, he had then pointed out. In the letter dated January 23, 2023, Mr Khemka wrote, "Lopsided distribution of work does not serve public interest." "Towards the end of my service career, I offer my services to head the vigilance department to root out corruption. "If given an opportunity, I assure you there would be a real war against corruption and no one however high and mighty will be spared," the IAS officer had written. After a round of promotions over two years back, Mr Khemka tweeted: "Congratulations to my batchmates newly appointed as Secretaries to GOI! While this is an occasion for merry, it brings equal measure of despondency for one's own self having been left behind." He added, "Straight trees are always cut first. No regrets. With renewed resolve, I shall persist." In the past more than 12 years, Mr Khemka has been posted in departments considered "low profile." Over his entire career, on average, he has been transferred about every six months. Earlier, he had been posted to the Archives department for the fourth time -- three of these stints have been during the tenure of the BJP-led government. He earlier served as the director general and later the principal secretary of the Archives department. He was first transferred to the department in 2013 when the Congress was in power.
