Inside The Secretariat: IAS Crunch, Tourism Bhavan, & Aviation Safety

Shortage Of IAS Officers

Generally, at the beginning of every year, a shortage of IAS officers is observed due to a higher number of retirements by the end of the previous year and comparatively fewer new recruitments. According to the 2026 Civil List, against the sanctioned strength of 313 IAS posts, only 267 officers are currently in service. Despite this sizeable workforce, the state is still facing a shortage of 46 IAS officers. As per the Civil List, 170 officers are posted on senior duty positions in the state government. Five officers are serving as Additional Chief Secretaries, while nine officers are functioning as Principal Secretaries. At the end of last year, two officers from the State Cooperative Cadre, who were promoted to the Selection Grade, were included in the Civil List. These officers —Avni Vora and Tekchand Tirthani — are currently serving as Additional Collectors. Meanwhile, eight IAS officers of the 2025 batch—Harshita Goyal, Margi Chirag Shah, Trilok Singh, Smit H. Panchal, Avdhija Gupta, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Piyush Gathala, and Teena Kalyan—are undergoing training.

District Administration Reshuffle Likely

Clear indications have emerged of a potential reshuffle in Gujarat’s district administration, with transfers of District Collectors and District Development Officers (DDOs) likely in the coming weeks. The anticipated changes are being linked to the local self-government elections scheduled after the budget session. The post of Collector (Surendranagar) has fallen vacant following the suspension of Rajendra Patel. Meanwhile, Mehul Dave, the Collector of Gandhinagar, is set to retire in February, adding further urgency to administrative adjustments. Additionally, several Collectors and DDOs have been posted at the same locations for extended periods, making their transfers almost certain. It is also learnt that the postings of some officers who have already received promotions have been delayed, contributing to the overall administrative logjam. Owing to these multiple factors, significant changes in the district administrative system are expected in the coming months. Notably, the reshuffle may not be limited to the civil administration alone—transfers within the police department, ranging from Police Inspectors (PI) to Superintendents of Police (SP), are also likely and would not come as a surprise.

Tourism Bhavan

The Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited (GTCL) has initiated preparations to construct a state-of-the-art Tourism Bhavan on 7,000 square metres of its 10,000-square-metre land parcel located opposite the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar. Earlier, the land had been earmarked for a five-star hotel, and the tender process for the project had also been carried out. However, as no hotel operator came forward, the tender process was eventually cancelled. The state government has now decided to utilise this land parcel for the construction of a Tourism Bhavan at an estimated cost of ₹100 crore. The new building will house the offices of the Tourism Secretary, Tourism Commissioner, Tourism Corporation, Directors of GUJSAIL, and the CEO of GUJTOUR, among others. The Tourism Corporation has already issued a tender for the project, with a two-year timeline specified for design, construction, and execution. At present, the land is being used as a vehicle parking facility.

Backlog Of Inquiries

Despite fixing an honorarium ranging between ₹27,000 and ₹42,000 per case for empanelled retired officers conducting preliminary and departmental inquiries, such investigations in Gujarat continue to drag on for months. As a result, officers who are innocent or falsely implicated are denied timely justice, while corrupt officials often escape swift punishment. In this backdrop, M.K. Das, the Chief Secretary of Gujarat, recently directed senior officers of all state departments to ensure that pending inquiry cases are completed within three months. According to estimates, the total number of preliminary and departmental inquiry cases across various state departments is close to 2,000. Although the state government periodically reviews the status of these cases, the desired outcomes have largely remained elusive. On the other hand, officers conducting inquiries point out that delays occur mainly due to the non-availability of documents on time, either from the accused officers or from the departments concerned, which hampers the timely disposal of cases. Notably, departments such as Education, Roads & Buildings, Irrigation, Revenue, Health, Panchayat, Home, and Urban Development account for the highest number of pending departmental inquiry cases in the state.

Aviation Safety Upgrade

The Government of Gujarat is set to upgrade its aviation safety assets by inducting a new helicopter to replace the one purchased in 2007, which has been facing frequent technical issues and requires repeated repairs. Gujarat’s association with government aviation dates back several decades. The state acquired its first helicopter in 1973, primarily for agricultural purposes. This was followed by helicopters procured in 1980 for artificial rain-making and in 1990 for VVIP movement. The state government inducted its first aircraft in 1999, while the existing helicopter was added to the fleet in 2007. Further strengthening its aviation infrastructure, the government commissioned a hangar in 2014 and acquired a jet aircraft in 2019. 

NAKSHA Training Programme

The NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-Based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) programme is a key initiative aimed at modernising urban land records, strengthening spatial planning, and ensuring transparency in land administration. A training workshop under the programme was recently organised at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, with the participation of around 70 Collectors and Municipal Commissioners from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. The workshop also saw the presence of 100 field officers from the Gujarat Land Records Department. Addressing the workshop, Shyam Kumar, Director in the Department of Land Resources, said that under this national programme, 157 cities across India have been selected for implementation as pilot projects, including five cities from Gujarat. The programme is considered particularly important for District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners, as it enables detailed deliberations on status, challenges, and solutions, helping states take more effective and timely decisions. Officials from the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, also participated in the training programme.

Ongoing Review Meetings

With elections to local self-government bodies as well as municipal corporations scheduled to be held in the middle of this year, the state government has begun a series of review meetings. After interactions with panchayat and municipality representatives, the government has now initiated direct dialogue with mayors of municipal corporations, standing committee chairpersons, and municipal commissioners. At a time when preparations are underway for the Union and State Budgets for the new financial year, the government—keeping the elections in mind—is placing greater emphasis on incorporating citizen-centric provisions in the budget. In a recently held meeting, the Chief Minister convened a discussion with city office-bearers and officials to review pending works for the current year, new projects to be taken up, and approvals that are pending with the government. The government intends to ensure that essential projects and works receive approval before the announcement of local body elections, so that their benefits can be delivered promptly. This meeting may also be seen as part of election-oriented planning.

Active Policing Drive

After assuming charge as In-Charge Director General of Police, K.L.N. Rao has initiated an "active policing drive" across Gujarat. Recently, he conducted review meetings of two districts under the “One Day–One District” programme. Dr. Rao is holding online review meetings with District Superintendents of Police, as well as range, rural, and other senior officers concerned. Although there was speculation that a full-time DGP would be appointed soon, instead of an in-charge arrangement, the government’s decision has been delayed. In the meantime, Dr. Rao has begun functioning as a full-time DGP, setting clear policing priorities. A 1992-batch IPS officer, Dr. Rao is due to retire in October 2027. Meanwhile, Shamsher Singh, a 1991-batch IPS officer who returned from central deputation at the beginning of the year, is yet to be given a posting in the state. With his retirement due in March 2026, his chances of being appointed DGP have significantly diminished. It is now likely that he will be assigned another senior position within the police department. During his central deputation, Shamsher Singh served as Additional Director General in the Border Security Force.