Why people calling Ladakh a “punishment posting”?: Omar Abdullah as IAS couple transferred for misusing stadium for dog walk

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah asked “why are people calling Ladakh a punishment posting”, shortly after the Home Ministry transferred IAS couple Sanjeev Khirwar and Anu Dugga, who stirred a controversy by forcing the Thyagraj stadium of Delhi to be emptied for walking their dog, to Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh respectively.

“Why are people calling Ladakh a ‘punishment posting’? For one it’s a beautiful place with very hospitable people & some stunning places to visit and secondly it’s demoralising for the people there to be given the impression that officers only get sent as a punishment,” Abdullah tweeted.

Following media reports over alleged misuse of a sports facility, Delhi Principal Secretary (Revenue) Sanjeev Khirwar and his wife Rinku Dugga, also an IAS officer, were transferred by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Khirwar has been transferred to Ladakh while Dugga will be stationed at Arunachal Pradesh, according to a notification from the MHA.

Both the officers have been asked to join their place of postings with "immediate effect".

The action was taken after a report in newspaper The India Express said Thyagraj Stadium was being closed for sports activities earlier than usual so that IAS officer Khirwar, who is among the senior-most officers in the Delhi government administration, could walk his dog at the facility.

Following the report, the Delhi government announced that all stadiums under its administration will now remain open till 10 pm every day.

Announcing Kejriwal's decision, deputy CM Manish Sisodia tweeted, "News reports have brought to our notice that certain sports facilities are being closed early causing inconvenience to sportsmen who wish to play till late night. CM Arvind Kejriwal has directed that all Delhi Govt sports facilities to stay open for sportsmen till 2200 hours".