Inside The Secretariat: Canine Intervention, Busy Schedules

Policy For Pet Dogs

The passion for keeping pet dogs has spread from Ahmedabad to small and large cities across Gujarat. Many Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), and Indian Forest Services (IFS) officers in Gandhinagar now have pet dogs in their homes. 

Keeping pets — especially dogs — can turn risky, and even fatal. After a recent tragedy in the Hathijan area of Ahmedabad, where a pet dog mauled a 4-month-old girl to death, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation made registration of dogs mandatory for all pet-owning households by May 31.

Now, the state government is considering drafting a comprehensive policy for dog parents, which is expected to define clear guidelines on whether citizens can keep aggressive dog breeds in residential or official premises, and under what conditions.

The state government spokesperson, Rishikesh Patel, said the policy will be announced soon, keeping in mind the directives and legal frameworks laid out by the Supreme Court and the High Court.

It is also likely to address the issue of stray dogs, which have become a public safety concern. In 2022 alone, there were 1.44 lakh dog bite incidents reported in the state, with a significant number involving children.

A Rare Accomplishment

D D Raval, a Class 1 officer in the state police department who had been working on contract at the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner’s office for the last five years, has just been relieved from duty.

Raval, who rose to the position of Principal Personal Secretary, began his career as a Class 3 clerk in the same office. Although he officially retired in 2020, the government extended his service, allowing him to work for a total of 38 years.

It is said that he was so disciplined and his presence commanded such respect that even IPS officers were left overawed, while police personnel across the city would voluntarily salute him. Such a long term at the same location is rare in government jobs.

Gujarat IPS Was In Running For CBI Chief

In a recent meeting to select a new Director for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a final decision could not be reached, resulting in the grant of an extension to the current director.

Praveen Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer from the Karnataka cadre, who was due to retire, has been given a one-year extension in service. Rumours in senior police circles suggest that Manoj Sashidhar, a 1994-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer, was among the names considered for the top post.

Sashidhar has been serving in the CBI since 2023. The selection of the CBI Director is conducted by a high-level committee chaired by the Prime Minister of India, and includes the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha as members.

Typically, the CBI's organisational structure includes one Director, one Special Director, two Additional Directors, 14 Joint Directors, and eight Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs).

As Outdated Sirens Fail, New Alerts In The Offing

The 'mock drill' conducted to prepare citizens for a potential war between India and Pakistan has revealed that many of the old sirens had stopped working. Investigation revealed that the technology had become outdated, rendering the sirens ineffective at several places.

Now, the state Home Department, through the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), has planned to install 1,000 new sirens, to be fitted in border towns and villages, major cities and port areas.

The government has allocated Rs 50 lakh to larger districts and Rs 25 lakh to smaller districts for the purpose. All district collectors have been instructed to install advanced, Internet of Things (IoT) based alarms, which not only provide alerts during war-like situations, but also during natural disasters.

The Home Department has also decided to enhance the civil defence system and set up a monitoring centre for these sirens. The modern, remote-controlled sirens will have pre-set tones — one to indicate the onset of a threat, another to signal its subsidence.

'Busy Schedule' Keeps Ministers Off Social Media

Only the Chief Minister and 4-5 ministers in his Cabinet seem to have taken the Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC) recommendation to strengthen social media platforms to promote popular central and state government schemes seriously.

Most other ministers don't even keep their social media accounts updated. Even though the state government has ordered all government websites and applications to be regularly updated — leading to noticeable improvements — departments like Industry, Roads and Buildings, Home, Urban Development, and Civil Supplies, are still largely inactive online.

Among ministers, MoS (Home) Harsh Sanghavi and spokesperson Rishikesh Vyas are currently the most active, while Education ministers Kuber Dindor and Praful Panseriya share updates about their departments satisfactorily.

Meanwhile, some ministers haven’t even started using social media. Now, they are hiring private staff to maintain their online presence. One state-level minister commented, “All I can say is that with the amount of routine work in my office, including attending to visitors, I don’t get any time to manage social media.”

Injured While Playing Tennis, DGP Says He's Down But Not Out

Even at the cusp of retirement, Gujarat’s Director General of Police (DGP) Vikas Sahay continues to play tennis and badminton. Last week, while playing tennis, he suffered a muscle strain in his leg while running, forcing him to leave the game midway to undergo ice treatment.

For now, he has stopped playing, even though he attends office regularly, saying he has no other health issues but a slight discomfort while walking. When fellow officers inquire about his health, he says he is hopeful he will recover quickly and resume playing again.

A Chief Secretary Who Brings Out The Best In Others

The working style of Gujarat’s Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi has been well-received by officers in the Secretariat, as well as in various boards and corporations. They say he listens attentively to all their submissions and arguments.

In meetings of the Cabinet Committee of Secretaries, more officers are now seen actively participating in discussions, unlike in the past when many remained silent. Every officer's point of view is taken seriously, their inputs valued, making discussions more engaging.

If an officer has a query, they feel free to approach the CS directly and receive appropriate guidance. One officer said, “Whenever we face challenges in departmental work, we go directly to him and get guidance. His prompt and positive response makes our work easier.”

Ministers, Secretaries To Begin Visiting Schools Soon

Like every year, Gujarat will organise the Kanya Kelavani and school enrolment drive this year. The state's education department has issued instructions to all secretariat departments and local administrations.

The event is scheduled from June 18 to June 20. The state government has directed all District Education Officers to begin surveying children eligible for school admission in their areas and send detailed reports to the education department.

Special attention is to be given to children seeking admission in Grade 1, and to those who have dropped out of school. This time, in addition to enrolment, the academic and physical infrastructure of the schools — including the number of teachers, vacancies, and availability of basic facilities — will also be evaluated. The event will be held at both urban and rural levels. 

(with inputs from Gautam Purohit and Sanjay Vibhakar)