Centre appoints Sanjeev Khirwar as MCD commissioner; Officer earlier linked to stadium dog walk row
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday appointed senior IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar as the new commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, marking his return to the national capital nearly three years after he was transferred out following a high-profile controversy linked to the Thyagraj Stadium.
Khirwar, a 1994-batch AGMUT cadre officer, takes charge of the country’s largest civic body at a critical juncture, with the MCD’s annual budget due later this month and the corporation grappling with persistent administrative and financial challenges. His appointment was notified through an official order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and communicated to the office of the Delhi lieutenant governor.
Hindustan Times reported that he replaces Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir. Kumar had been serving as the MCD commissioner since June 2024 and earlier played a key role as special officer during the unification of Delhi’s three municipal corporations into a single entity.
In May 2022, Khirwar was accused of restricting athletes’ access to the Delhi government-run Thyagraj Stadium in the evenings to facilitate walking his dog. The allegations had triggered widespread criticism and public debate on the use of public infrastructure by senior officials. Khirwar had denied the allegations, but he was subsequently transferred out of Delhi to Ladakh.
Now back in the capital, Khirwar will oversee the MCD’s daily functioning, implementation of civic policies and coordination among departments at a time when issues related to finances, sanitation, urban infrastructure and service delivery remain under sharp public and political scrutiny.
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15 IAS officers transferred in Haryana
Chandigarh (PTI): The Haryana government transferred 15 IAS officers with immediate effect on Wednesday.
Among those who have been transferred are Vineet Garg, Chairman, Haryana State Pollution Control Board. He has been posted as the additional chief secretary to the government's printing and stationery department, relieving Raja Shekhar Vundru of the charge, a government order said.
Ajay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, has been transferred and posted as the deputy principal secretary-II to the chief minister against a newly-created post.
Pankaj Agarwal, Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, has been posted as the principal secretary in the architecture department, relieving Apporva Kumar Singh of the charge.
Saket Kumar, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Commissioner and Secretary, Development and Panchayats Department, has been transferred and posted as the commissioner and secretary in the archives department, relieving Shekhar Vidyarthi of the charge.
Mani Ram Sharma, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, has been posted as the secretary in the health department, relieving Rippudaman Singh Dhillon of the charge.
