IAS officer accused of emptying Delhi stadium to walk dog now MCD commissioner

Sanjeev Khirwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer who was transferred to Ladakh after triggering a major controversy over allegations that an entire stadium in Delhi was cleared to allow him to walk his dog, has returned to the national capital as the new Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner.

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The Union Home Ministry announced his appointment on Wednesday (January 19), and the decision was communicated to the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena.

New MCD commissioner

Khirwar has succeeded Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir.

He takes charge at a time when the civic body is preparing to present its budget before the Municipal Corporation House later this month and is grappling with several administrative and financial challenges.

The MCD commissioner plays a crucial role in overseeing the corporation’s day-to-day operations, implementing policies and ensuring coordination among various departments.

2022 stadium controversy

Khirwar is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre.

The 2022 incident had sparked widespread public outrage over perceived entitlement among senior government officials. At the time, Khirwar was serving as Delhi’s Principal Secretary (Revenue).

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He and his wife, who is also a bureaucrat, were accused of asking athletes and coaches to vacate the stadium early so that they could walk their dog. Trainees at the stadium claimed they were asked to wrap up their sessions ahead of the usual closing time of 7 pm.

In the aftermath of the episode, Khirwar’s wife, Rinku Dugga, also a 1994-batch IAS officer, was reportedly compulsorily retired.

According to a PTI report, she was retired under Fundamental Rules (FR) 56(j) and Rule 48 of the Central Civil Services (CCS) Pension Rules, 1972, following an assessment of her service record.