IAS Sanjeev Khirwar who emptied Delhi stadium to walk his dog gets MCD commissioner role
PTC News Desk: IAS Sanjeev Khirwar has been appointed new Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner. Khirwar succeeded Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir.
Khirwar's appointment as MCD commissioner has raked up the controversy he was embroiled in 2022 when he was shunted out of the national capital. He drew backlash mid allegations that athletes at Delhi's Thyagraj Stadium complex were asked to leave early so that the bureaucrat could "walk his dog".
The MCD commissioner plays a significant role in supervising the corporation's day to day functions with policy implementation and maintaining inter-department coordination.
His appointment comes at a time when the civic body is gearing to present its budget before the Municipal Corporation House and grappling with multiple administrative and financial challenges.
The 2022 controversy wreak massive public outcry over entitlement among government officers and officials. He and his wife, who is also a bureaucrat, were accused of asking athletes to end their training early so they could take their dog for a walk. At the time, players and coaches using the stadium alleged they were told to wrap up before the usual 7 pm closing time.
Following the controversy, the then Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government ordered that all stadiums in the national capital remain open for athletes until 10 pm.
- With inputs from agencies
