IAS officer who emptied stadium for his dog walk becomes MCD commissioner

Sanjeev Khirwar, the IAS officer who had stirred a nationwide debate in 2022 after walking his dog inside Delhi’s Thyagraj Stadium while athletes were asked to leave early, has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), according to a notification issued by the Central Government on Wednesday.

“Exercising powers conferred by Section 54 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, the Central Government has appointed Sanjeev Khirwar, LAS (AGMUT:1994) as Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi,” the notification stated.

Khirwar, a 1994 AGMUT cadre officer, was transferred to Ladakh in 2022 following the stadium incident, while his wife, Rinku Dugga, also an AGMUT officer, was posted to Arunachal Pradesh. At the time, the Ministry of Home Affairs had acted after the Delhi Chief Secretary submitted a report on the incident.

Prior to his transfer, Khirwar held key administrative positions in Delhi, including Principal Secretary (Revenue), Divisional Commissioner, and additional charge as Environment Secretary. He also served as Private Secretary to the Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath between 2009 and 2014, and later held postings in the Commerce Ministry and as Secretary of Health and Family Welfare.

From 2022 to 2026, Khirwar served as Secretary in the Union Territory of Ladakh. He will now succeed Ashwani Kumar, a 1992 AGMUT cadre officer who was appointed MCD Commissioner in 2024.

Over the years, Khirwar has held multiple roles across Delhi and Union Territories in departments including environment, general administration, and revenue, while navigating both administrative responsibilities and high-profile public controversies.