Inside The Secretariat: Collectors Suspended, Officer Transferred, And Prime Postings

Four Collectors Suspended, Fifth On The Radar

In Gujarat, action has so far been taken against four district collectors in land-related cases, with one more district collector now under the scanner. In the Surendranagar land scam involving transactions worth around ₹1,500 crore, IAS officer Dr. Rajendra Patel is facing investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). For now, he has been transferred and placed under the General Administration Department (GAD), but there is strong likelihood that he could be suspended at any time.

Earlier, suspension action had already been taken against former Surat collector Ayush Oak, former Kutch collector Pradeep Sharma, former Surendranagar collector Kankipati Rajesh, and former Panchmahal–Gandhinagar collector S.K. Langa.

GIFT City & Liquor Liberalisation 

Gujarat follows prohibition, but to boost business and tourism, the state government has introduced significant relaxations in its liquor policy. After earlier allowing a limited wine-and-dine facility in GIFT City, strict conditions had continued to deter visitors. Now, with further easing of the rules, any non-Gujarati individual will be able to consume liquor in GIFT City by obtaining a permit using a valid identity document. This decision is expected to open the doors for tourism linked to Surat’s Diamond Bourse, the Rann of Kutch, beach destinations, and wildlife tourism hubs across the state. 

Officer Transferred Twice Within Just A Few Hours

At times, transfer orders in the state government are issued in undue haste. In the recent reshuffle involving 26 officers, 1998-batch IAS officer Mohammad Shahid was initially posted to the Social Justice and Empowerment Department. However, within a matter of hours, his posting was changed and he was appointed as Commissioner of the Cottage and Rural Industries Department. Previously, this post was being handled as an additional charge by Adra Agrawal, who has now been relieved of that responsibility.

Meanwhile, Shahmina Husen, Principal Secretary of the Narmada and Water Resources Department, has been given additional charge of the Tribal Development Department. This order, issued after the major reshuffle, was signed by the newly appointed Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD), Dr. Anju Sharma.

More Changes Loom In Gujarat’s Bureaucracy

With promotions still in the pipeline, further major changes are expected in Gujarat’s bureaucracy. Despite the large-scale transfer of officers, the Home Department continues to function under additional charge. Earlier, the additional charge was held by then Chief Secretary MK Das, and it has now been assigned to the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary, Sanjeev Kumar. Even after the recent reshuffle, as many as 10 officers are still holding additional charges. In this backdrop, the likelihood of another reshuffle has increased, as five Principal Secretaries and officers of the 1996 batch—Mona Khandhar, Dr T. Natarajan, Rajiv Topno, Mamta Verma, and Mukesh Kumar—are due for promotion to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary on January 1.

Back From Deputation, Straight To Prime Postings

IAS officers returning to Gujarat after deputation in Delhi often receive prime postings in the state, and several such examples have been seen in recent years. Earlier, Rajiv Topno, who returned from deputation as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Prime Minister’s Office, was given the key posting of State Tax Commissioner. Subsequently, Vikrant Pandey, who returned after five years with the central government, was appointed as Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

He has now taken charge as Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Similarly, Dr. Ajay Kumar of the 2006 batch, who returned from deputation, has been appointed as Secretary to the Chief Minister. He had earlier served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. After returning to Gujarat, he was awaiting a suitable posting. A native of Haryana with a PhD in agriculture, he has also served as Private Secretary to several Union Cabinet ministers. In addition to his role as Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr. Ajay Kumar has also been given additional charge as Vice Chairman–CEO of the Gujarat Maritime Board.

Key Duty Shifts From CMO To GSPC Bhavan

Whenever IAS transfers take place, in the government, discussions around prime and side postings are inevitable. Among the recent reshuffle of senior officers, the most talked-about appointment is that of 2003-batch IAS officer Avantika Singh Aulakh. Holding the post of Additional Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, the woman officer is known for her strong background in technical and public policy matters. She has received the Best District Collector award for her tenure in Vadodara and Bharuch, and has also been conferred a national award under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme. She has now been transferred as Managing Director of the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) Group, replacing Milind Torawane. 

Dr. Rahul Gupta appointed to prepare for CWG

For securing host status for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, Ashwini Kumar had made a significant contribution so far. He remained closely involved in the entire process related to the Games. However, he has now been abruptly transferred to the Energy and Petrochemicals Department, and in his place, 2004-batch officer Dr. Rahul Gupta, who had until now been holding a side posting, has been appointed.

This means that from here on, Dr. Rahul Gupta will have to take charge of preparations for the Commonwealth Games. At the same time, since he has also been given additional charge of the Climate Change Department, he will be performing a dual role.

Arun Kumar Solanki Continues In A Side Posting

In government service, there are several departments that are commonly regarded as side postings, including Labour and Employment, Social Justice and Empowerment, Women and Child Development, Cooperation and Animal Husbandry, Panchayat and Rural Development, and Tribal Development. In the latest reshuffle, 1990-batch IAS officer Arun Kumar Solanki, who has been on side postings for quite some time, has once again been assigned the Cooperation and Animal Husbandry Department.

Earlier as well, he was posted as Managing Director of the Gujarat State Warehousing Corporation. That said, he has previously worked in the Forest and Environment Department and at GMDC. Since he has past experience in the Cooperation and Animal Husbandry sectors, the posting is being defended on the grounds of domain familiarity. However, within the secretariat bureaucracy, this assignment continues to be viewed as a side posting.

1.5 Million Candidates for 12,700 Police Vacancies

The Gujarat government recently issued appointment letters to a total of 11,899 selected candidates, including 3,117 women, under the Home Department’s Lokrakshak cadre recruitment process, at a public event. Such a large-scale distribution of appointment letters at one time is rarely seen. Even so, thousands of posts in the police department are still lying vacant. Last month, the Gujarat Police Recruitment Board issued an advertisement for direct recruitment to Class-III posts, covering a total of 12,733 vacancies, including 858 posts of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) and positions in the Lokrakshak cadre.

What is striking is that more than 1.5 million candidates across the state applied for police department jobs. This figure highlights the level of unemployment in Gujarat. Four years ago, when the Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board issued an advertisement for 3,437 revenue talati posts, as many as 2.2 million candidates had applied. Again, just this July, around 600,000 applications were received for 2,389 posts.