Nearly three years after being pushed out of the national capital amid a storm over a dog-walking incident, senior IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar has made a dramatic comeback to Delhi — this time as the Municipal Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed Khirwar, a 1994-batch AGMUT cadre officer, to head the country’s largest civic body, replacing Ashwani Kumar, who has been shifted out of Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir as part of a high-level bureaucratic reshuffle. The order has been formally conveyed to the office of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor.
Khirwar’s return comes at a sensitive and challenging moment for the MCD. The civic body is preparing to table its annual budget while simultaneously battling financial stress, administrative bottlenecks, and mounting pressure over civic services. As Commissioner, Khirwar will be responsible for steering day-to-day governance, enforcing policy decisions, and coordinating across departments to stabilise the corporation’s functioning.
However, his appointment has instantly revived memories of the Thyagraj Stadium controversy that rocked Delhi’s bureaucracy in 2022. Khirwar was transferred out of the capital after allegations surfaced that athletes were asked to vacate the stadium early in the evenings so he could walk his dog inside the premises. The issue snowballed after photos and videos allegedly showing the officer and his wife walking their dog went viral, triggering public outrage and sharp criticism from the sports community.
Following a report submitted by Delhi’s Chief Secretary, the Ministry of Home Affairs acted swiftly, transferring Khirwar to Ladakh, while his wife was posted to Arunachal Pradesh. The episode became a symbol of alleged bureaucratic high-handedness and raised serious questions about the misuse of public facilities.
Before the controversy, Khirwar held several influential positions in Delhi, including Principal Secretary (Revenue) and Divisional Commissioner — a role under which district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates function. He also handled additional responsibilities in the environment department and played a key role in administrative decision-making in the capital.
Over the years, Khirwar has built a long bureaucratic career, having served in multiple Union and state-level assignments. His earlier stints include serving as Private Secretary to the Union Women and Child Development Minister, postings in the Commerce Ministry, and senior roles in Delhi’s health, revenue, and general administration departments.
As he takes charge of the MCD once again in Delhi, Khirwar faces the dual challenge of restoring confidence in civic governance while navigating the shadow of a controversy that once forced his exit.
