Inside The Secretariat: CMO Cracks Whip, IAS Charts Flip, Oils Fuel A Tiff

CMO Push Clears The Dust Off Stalled Projects

The state government has several big-ticket projects in its kitty, but often hits a wall when it comes to execution. In a recent meeting, senior officials were asked to give updates on 32 major projects, collectively worth over ₹1.7 lakh crore, involving seven departments. Top officials are now under growing pressure, with several flagship projects being marked as high priority. These include the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train, the Khavda Renewable Energy Park, the Maritime Heritage Complex, Sabarmati Riverfront works, Surat Dream City, and the Skill University. All have been told to aim for a December 2026 deadline. The CMO has made it clear that delays must be avoided as they lead to financial burdens. Also, project overruns must be avoided. The message seems to be getting through, with department heads showing a fresh urgency.

Burdened Bureaucrats Juggle The Jobs

Stopgap governance is slowly becoming business as usual in Gujarat. Instead of filling top-level vacancies with fresh appointments, the state has been leaning on a patchwork approach—handing additional charges to officers already in service. At present, around a dozen and a half senior-level posts across Secretariat departments are being handled through these makeshift arrangements. Officers holding dual responsibilities are often unable to give full attention to either role. This has led to delays in key decision-making and reduced administrative bandwidth across departments. The same trend continued even after the retirement of top officials like J.P. Gupta in June and Kamal Dayani in July, when their posts were reassigned instead of being refilled. A key reason behind this is the ongoing shortage of IAS officers in the state. Around a dozen officers retire each year, and several Gujarat-cadre officers are on deputation in Delhi. This leaves the state struggling to make regular appointments at the top. The ripple effect is not limited to the administrative side alone. The Police department currently has seven IPS officers managing additional charges. The Forest department mirrors the situation with eight IFS officers taking on extra responsibilities. In short, these stopgap arrangements reflect a governance model held together by patchworks, and may pose long-term risks.

8th Pay Commission Rekindles 'Equal Pay’ Demand

As New Delhi begins laying the groundwork for the 8th Pay Commission, a movement is gaining momentum in Gujarat. This time, it is over the long-standing fixed-pay system. Unions representing government contract workers have reignited their push to end the policy, accusing the state of denying them rightful pay. According to them, more than three lakh employees continue to do government jobs under contract terms, without adequate pay or job security. Many of these workers believe the government has sufficient funds, but no intention of making them permanent. They claim that young professionals are putting in hard work but are not being compensated fairly. The employees demand that the fixed-pay policy be scrapped and that permanent appointments be made as per employment laws. They argue that equal pay for equal work is not merely a matter of agreement but a constitutional right. For now, the anger is simmering on social media, but signs suggest it won't stay there much longer. 

Revenue Revival Gets A High-Level Nudge

With governance on her mind and a backlog to tackle, Dr Jayanti Ravi, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue department, recently chaired a high-level meeting directing collectors and senior officials to speed up key tasks. Among the priorities outlined were pending revenue cases, streamlining of resurvey operations, closer collaboration between departments, and the use of Artificial Intelligence to draft updated manuals. Dr Ravi flagged the need to swiftly dispose of nearly 37,000 lingering cases, including 29,000 pending ones in courts. She asked the officers to formulate of a detailed roadmap in consultation with legal department. With senior CMO personnel attending, the meeting also touched on land encroachments, mining violations, and the condition of government buildings. Commissioner Bhavin Pandya led a department-wide review of delivery timelines and told officials to fast-track unresolved vigilance cases, MP-MLA related issues, and feedback from the PG Portal.

Fewer Farewells: Babu’s Age Pyramid Shifts

There was a time not too long ago, when Gujarat would bid farewell to 15 or more senior IAS officers every year. But with young officers steadily joining the ranks, the retirement rate has dropped quite sharply. From 2025 to 2029, only eight senior IAS officers are expected to step down. This year, Sunayna Tomar is scheduled to retire in November, followed by S.J. Haider in December. Among the current top brass, Manoj Kumar Das from the 1990 batch is now the most senior officer after Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi. Das is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister and is scheduled to retire in December 2026. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Joshi, from the 1989 batch, will retire in October 2025. His upcoming retirement has already fuelling speculation across the Secretariat about who might replace him. Other senior officers retiring over the next four years include K. Srinivas, Manoj Kumar Das, C.V. Som, Arun Kumar Solanki, Dr. Jayanti Ravi, Dr. Anju Sharma, Mona Khandhar, and Ramesh Chandra Meena.

Circuit Houses To Go Grand And Glossy

Seeking to give its guesthouses a premium upgrade, the state government is planning to transform state-run Circuit Houses, managed by the Roads and Buildings department, into hotel-like facilities—not through privatisation, but by adopting a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for operations. For starters, Circuit Houses located at the holy pilgrimage sites of Somnath, Dwarka, and Ambaji will be developed under the model. Operational responsibilities, including catering and housekeeping, will be handled by private agencies selected through a tender process. A delegation from the department recently visited Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi, studied its operational model, and submitted a report to the state government. The goal is to replicate that standard across Circuit Houses in the state. Room reservations for political leaders and government officers will continue. If the initiative performs well, it may be extended to facilities in major cities. The Roads and Buildings department is working jointly with the Tourism department to implement the project.

Oil Label Mismatch Fuels Policy Demand

Edible oil packaging in Gujarat is facing fresh questions, as complaints of irregularities have begun piling up. The Gujarat State Edible Oil and Oilseed Association has urged the government to implement a clear and uniform policy on weight and packaging to prevent consumer deception. The association has objected to the current packaging standards and accused certain oil producers of misleading consumers. For years, edible oils in the state have been sold in packs of varying kilolitre quantities. However, complaints have surfaced alleging that some manufacturers are underfilling the packs, whether labeled in kilograms or kilolitres. The newer practice of branding oils as ‘fortified’ has further complicated matters. In these circumstances, the responsibility of implementing a uniform policy now lies with Ramesh Chandra Meena, Principal Secretary of the Gujarat Food and Civil Supplies department, and Mayur Mehta, Managing Director of the Civil Supplies Corporation.

IAS Association Calls For Inter-State Partnership

In the recently held elections of the Central IAS Association, S. Krishnan, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre, has been elected President. The Executive Committee comprises 18 members in total. Among them, D. Thara, a 1995-batch woman IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, has been elected as an Executive Member. She is currently on deputation in Delhi, serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs since 2021. The newly elected President emphasised that the IAS community must provide structured, ethical, and institutional guidance to future generations. He highlighted the importance of fostering stronger collaboration with IAS Associations across all states to promote positive governance practices in the public sector. He also urged for greater use of digital platforms to share examples of good governance. But the Gujarat IAS Association appears to be inactive on social media, with no new post on X (formerly Twitter) since May 2023.

Power Wives Breathe Life Into Punit Van

Swapping daily schedules for spades and saplings, the wives of senior IAS, IPS, and IFS officers in Gujarat recently came together to green a patch of Gandhinagar. The members of all three associations took part in a one-day tree plantation drive at Punit Van, a botanical garden known for its spiritual theme. Leading the IAS Wives Association was Jyotsna Joshi, wife of Gujarat Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi; Anuradha Sahay, wife of DGP Vikas Sahay. represented the IPS community; Geeta Singh, wife of Dr A.P. Singh, Forest department head, spearheaded the event as its chief organiser. Speaking about the same, Geeta Singh said, “With the aim of preserving and protecting the environment, around 55 wives of officers from the three elite Indian services planted medicinal saplings representing 111 different species, including Peepal, Banyan, Jamun, Kusum, Amla, Rayaan, Borsalli, Drumstick (Moringa), Arjun Sadad, and Umro.” Long known for their behind-the-scenes work in social outreach, the three associations stepped into the spotlight with this meaningful, hands-on effort.