Haryana transport minister Anil Vij is against deploying senior police officials in the transport department, a practice started by former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Vij has, thus, begun with reversing Khattar’s decision by removing senior police officials — some of them IPS officers — from crucial positions like the regional transport officer and motor vehicles officer.
It was Khattar administration that had appointed non-Haryana civil services (HCS) officers — most of them senior police officials — to key positions following allegations of corruption at the regional transport authority (RTA). The decision is said to have followed a vigilance bureau crackdown, which resulted in penal action against HCS officers on graft charges.
But Vij, in his letter to the chief secretary, has advocated for reinstating departmental staff and recommended HCS officers for RTA roles, in the name of restoring internal accountability. As part of this restructuring, IPS officer Navdeep Singh Virk has been removed as principal secretary (transport). Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka has taken over as additional chief secretary of the transport department.
Interestingly, observers feel that the reform highlights the ongoing political tension between Vij and Khattar. During Khattar regime, Vij had publicly criticised the CMO for interfering in his departments. Subsequently, Khattar’s administration reduced Vij’s powers — removing him from the CID portfolio in 2020 and urban local bodies department in 2021.
Some analysts also feel that Khattar’s decision to appoint non-HCS officers at the RTA had weakened the department’s administrative structure and allowed external interference.
But Vij’s latest decision has received mixed reactions as well. While supporters viewed it as a step towards greater transparency and departmental autonomy, opponents questioned its impact on anti-corruption measures.
