Top Restaurants Set To Open Branches In GIFT City

The country’s top restaurant brands are preparing to open their branches in GIFT City, located in Gandhinagar. An official from the Industries Department said that at present there are two major hotels and a few small restaurants operating in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), but well-known restaurant brands capable of serving a wide variety of cuisines have now been invited. Recently, a meeting was held with representatives of leading restaurant chains. Keeping in mind the daily needs of office-goers and residents, a shopping complex and a central park are also coming up in GIFT City. Facilities such as food courts and international cuisine restaurants are planned, and it is expected that some of the country’s top restaurants will soon open their outlets here.

Govt Finally Notices Additional Charge Issue

When the state government assigns additional charge to an officer due to transfer or retirement, it often remains unclear how the officer will manage responsibilities at multiple locations. In recent transfers, Jenu Devan was appointed Secretary (Expenditure) in the Finance Department and was also given additional charge as Managing Director of Gujarat State Energy Development Corporation. One post is based in Gandhinagar, while the other is in Vadodara, raising questions about how an officer can effectively discharge duties at both places. However, since budget preparation is currently underway, the government has now relieved Jenu Devan of the additional charge. Highlighting another important issue, a senior IAS officer pointed out that while assigning additional charge of boards and corporations, the government should ensure that it is given to officers handling the concerned parent department. Contrary to this principle, in a recent order, Transport Commissioner Rajendra Kumar was given additional charge as Managing Director of the ST Corporation.

Grant Utilisation Drive Launched Ahead of March

The state government has instructed heads of all departments to fully utilise allocated grant funds by the end of March. Secretaries have been told that development work should not be halted due to a lack of funds. Visitors to the Secretariat often complain that local administrations delay development projects citing non-availability of grants. In a recent high-level meeting, the Chief Minister clearly directed that work must continue with proper quality standards and should not stop due to financial constraints. Officials were also instructed that if grant funds are likely to be exhausted, advance arrangements should be made by placing timely demands. It is noteworthy that during the preparation of the new financial year’s budget, several departments fail to utilise the grants allocated to them even by the end of the year.

Davos Takeaways To Strengthen VGRC

Around 2,700 global leaders, business executives, and civil society representatives gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to deliberate on global economic, social, and future challenges. A delegation from Gujarat also participated in the Davos meeting. Gujarat’s Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi led the delegation, accompanied by five officials — Mamata Verma, Ashwini Kumar, P. Bharti, P. Swarup, and Kuldeep Arya. A senior official said that the experience gained during the Davos visit would prove useful for the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC). The exposure and insights gained at the global forum will be applied while planning and organising the state-level conference. However, some officials were reportedly reluctant as they did not get an opportunity to be part of the Davos delegation.

Textile Policy Amendment To Benefit Women SHGs

The Gujarat government, which announced its textile policy two years ago, has now introduced a significant amendment. As per the revised policy, benefits will be extended to women self-help groups (SHGs) and small, non-polluting units such as garment, apparel, and embroidery units operating in urban areas. The government claims that this move will boost the MSME sector and generate employment opportunities in urban regions. Since all women SHGs registered under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) have been covered under the policy, they will now be able to participate in the textile value chain. It is mandatory for these units to be non-polluting and fall under the white or green category of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). The policy places special emphasis on garments and technical textiles. In addition to capital, interest, and power subsidies, the government has also announced employment-linked incentive assistance.

Rookie Ministers Struggle With Budget Prep

Following the cabinet reshuffle in Gujarat on October 17, several first-time ministers are reportedly facing difficulties in budget preparation and are seeking assistance from departmental officials. Junior ministers are learning the intricacies of the budget through back-to-back meetings at the Secretariat. In the three-month-old cabinet, three ministers are currently unwell, while others are still trying to understand their departments, making special briefing sessions necessary as the budget session approaches. With the budget session scheduled to begin on February 16, the upcoming weeks will serve as a litmus test for junior and first-time ministers occupying key positions. Some ministers are learning budget presentation techniques from senior and former ministers, while others are calling officials to their chambers and demanding detailed presentations.

Visitor Policy For Eco-Tourism Areas

The Gujarat government has initiated deliberations to prepare Visitors Policy Guidelines for eco-tourism. A senior Forest Department official said that the need for such guidelines has arisen due to the increasing number of tourists visiting protected forest areas across the state. This concept was presented at the recent State Wildlife Board meeting and was welcomed by the Head of Forest Force, A. P. Singh, and other senior forest conservators. Meanwhile, as the presence of tigers has been recorded in the Ratanmahal Sanctuary, forest officials are also considering the proposal to declare it a tiger sanctuary. In view of the rising leopard population in Gujarat, discussions have also been held on creating a separate sanctuary for leopards, including rescued animals. As per the current estimates, Gujarat has around 2,274 leopards spread across forest areas from Kutch to the Dangs and Gir.

Panchayat Assets For Commercial Use

Following the appointment of Dhananjay Dwivedi as Principal Secretary of the Gujarat Panchayat Department, a major initiative aimed at strengthening rural finances is being planned — an idea that has not been attempted earlier. The government has decided to utilise unused buildings and land holdings of district and taluka panchayats to make them financially self-reliant. Details of such properties have been sought from all District Development Officers (DDOs) and Taluka Development Officers (TDOs) across the state. According to sources, there is a proposal to develop shopping centres, commercial complexes, parking facilities, and other urban-style infrastructure through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. If implemented, these projects will enable panchayats to generate steady income through rentals while also enhancing public facilities. It is expected that the state government will initiate work on these projects once the required details are received from the field officers.