Inside The Secretariat: Gujarat’s Governance Strains And Policy Shifts

From Lifeline To Liability: BRTS Falters In State
The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), introduced as a public transport solution in Surat and Ahmedabad, now seems to be heading towards its decline. Amid heavy traffic pressure, authorities have begun removing railings from BRTS routes—first in Surat and now in Ahmedabad. In Surat, plans for new corridors have already been scrapped. The project is failing on narrow roads, where dedicated BRTS corridors have worsened traffic congestion. In Ahmedabad, the coexistence of AMTS buses, BRTS, and now the metro has further crowded the roads. This situation has prompted government officials, urban local bodies, and senior officers from the Urban Development Department to hold review meetings. Similar projects in Delhi, Chennai, and other cities have also failed to deliver success, and Gujarat appears to be witnessing the same outcome. In the long run, it seems likely that the BRTS corridor will be further reduced. In particular, traffic congestion in eastern Ahmedabad is worsening, forcing authorities to scale back BRTS corridors in certain areas. While BRTS in Ahmedabad was branded as Janmarg—“the people’s route”—it is increasingly becoming a painful route for the public.
 
Gujarat Gears Up For Fresh Industry Blueprint
In Gujarat, the state government is working towards announcing a new technology-driven industrial policy to replace the one that expired in August. The urgency behind this move is caused by the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC), scheduled to begin on October 9–10 at Mehsana in north Gujarat. A senior official from the Industries Department stated that after this conference, further regional conferences will be held in January 2026 in Kutch-Saurashtra, in April in south Gujarat, and in June in central Gujarat. To ensure that industries eager to invest receive maximum incentives and benefits, senior officers from the department, its allied branches, and public enterprises have been engaged in drafting the new policy. If no hurdles arise, the benefits of the new industrial policy will begin to be implemented as early as October. It is noteworthy that the state has planned the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) for January 2027, and these regional conferences are being organised in that context.
 
Hiring Storm Ahead: 2.06 Lakh After 1.67 Lakh!
To fill the vacancies arising from retiring officers and employees, the Gujarat government, for the first time, issued a recruitment calendar for the period 2014 to 2023. According to the claim, against 156,413 vacant posts that were to be filled in these ten years, 167,255 posts were actually filled. Encouraged by this success, the government released a second recruitment calendar in 2024, which has now completed one year. As per this calendar, by 2033, a total of 206,396 new employees will be added to government services, meaning that on average, around 20,500 vacant posts will be filled every year. It has often been observed, however, that despite orders from the General Administration Department, some departments did not provide the vacancy numbers on time, causing delays in the recruitment process. Since around 12,000 to 15,000 employees retire every year, the government regularly faces staff shortages. In such circumstances, if recruitment is not carried out on schedule, one officer or employee is often given the responsibility of handling multiple departments. Out of the upcoming recruitment, about 1.40 lakh posts will be from the Education and Home Departments alone.
 
Justice Falters When 1 Chair Demands 2 Loyalties!
“When one chair demands two loyalties, justice falters,” says a senior officer of the Gujarat cadre. According to him, if a department is to be run properly, a senior officer should hold charge of only one department. However, in the Gujarat government, a dozen officers are currently handling additional charges. Notably, Sunayna Tomar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher and Technical Education Department, has been given the additional charge of the General Administration Department. Manoj Kumar Das, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been assigned the additional charge of the Home Department. Shahmina Husein holds the Tribal Development Department. Alok Kumar Pandey, serving as Commissioner of Relief and Secretary in the Revenue Department, has been given the additional charge of CEO at GSDMA. Superintendent of Stamps Jainu Devan holds the additional charge of MD, MGVCL, Vadodara. In the Finance Department, Principal Secretary of Economic Affairs, Aarti Kanwar, is overseeing expenditure-related responsibilities. Principal Secretary Milind Torwane has the additional charge of MD, GSPC, along with Panchayat, Rural Housing, and Rural Development Departments.
 
Promotion Bottleneck Freezes Police Transfers
After a recent reshuffle involving 105 police officers, potential major changes in the Gujarat Police have been abruptly put on hold. Officers, who are due for promotion from PSI to PI, are still awaiting district transfers. PI-level officers who have been serving in the same post for three to four years, as well as some DIG-rank officers waiting for postings, will have to wait until promotions from PI to DYSP are cleared before any transfer orders are issued. It is being discussed that when top officials of the Home Department took the transfer and promotion files to higher authorities for approval, they were advised to hold off for some time. Therefore, the likelihood of such changes happening in the Police Department at present seems low. However, a senior IPS officer indicated that large-scale changes among police officers usually happen during the Diwali festival period. According to him, since local body elections are scheduled in the state at the beginning of 2026, these changes are expected to be finalised.
 
Surat Police Turns To AI For Crime Control
Following the success during the Navratri festival, for the first time in Gujarat, the Surat police are planning to use AI to solve crimes during the Diwali festival, with drone technology also being deployed. Surat Police Commissioner Anupamsinh Gehlot said that while police forces in developed countries are already using AI, “we successfully experimented with it during the Garba festivities in Navratri”. Now, in Surat, AI technology will assist in maintaining law and order, traffic management, road safety, and solving crimes against children and women. Recently, the UK developed a system that uses AI to predict crimes before they occur. This system helps officers by analysing potential crime data and providing interactive mapping. Similar systems were first implemented in Los Angeles and Chicago in the US. The Surat police’s initiative in this direction has brought Commissioner Gehlot into the spotlight.
 
Gujarat PSUs Shine Amid Sector Struggles
Despite long-standing deliberations to shut down numerous weak and loss-making public enterprises and government companies in Gujarat, no decision has been taken so far. Yet, amid this scenario, four public enterprises in Gujarat have delivered stellar performance on the stock exchange during the first six months of this financial year. These enterprises are Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC), Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL), Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL), and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC), all of which have recorded exceptional growth. GMDC emerged as the top performer, with its share price surging an extraordinary 125.17%, rising from 265.35 to 597.50. Similarly, GSFC’s share price increased from 177.30 to 196.40. The other two companies recorded gains of 5.80% and 4.10%, respectively. It is noteworthy that, according to the latest CAG report, 30 public enterprises and companies in Gujarat have incurred losses totaling ₹2,500 crore. Moreover, out of 15 inactive public units, five have already been closed.
 
After An Interminable Wait, Gujarat RERA To Finally Get HQ
Eight years after the establishment of the Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), the state government has decided to construct a dedicated building for it. This green building project will cost ₹110 crore. It will be equipped with modern facilities for applicants, visitors, builders, and agents. For this new campus, the Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority has allotted 3,595 square metres of land near Sargasan, where construction will cover 14,840 square metres. The complex will also include court-like facilities for the hearing of cases filed by government offices and lawyers. At present, the RERA office is located in the Sahyog Sankul building, which lacks adequate infrastructure. With the rising number of registrations and cases, the existing space has become insufficient. However, the RERA Tribunal office will continue to function from the Karmayogi Bhavan as per the government’s decision. Currently, retired IAS officer Anita Karwal serves as the Chairperson of Gujarat RERA, while two other retired IAS officers, M.A. Gandhi and M.D. Modia, are its members.