Inside The Secretariat: Bureaucracy Rejig, Retirees Return, & More Fieldwork For Top Officials

Bureaucracy Braces For Year-End Shake-Up

A major administrative reshuffle is on the anvil in Gujarat, as promotions for Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries are expected at the beginning of next year. Over the past few months, when a position falls vacant, rather than making permanent postings, the government increasingly assigns additional charge to officers. This trend reflects a shortage of senior officers in the state. Recently, after the retirement of 1989-batch IAS officer Sunaina Tomar, the vacant post in the Higher & Technical Education Department was given as additional charge to Mukesh Kumar, who is known as the “hard taskmaster”. He played a significant role in strengthening the Startup Mission. Meanwhile, the headless General Administration Department (GAD) has also been placed under additional charge, assigned to Health Department Principal Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi instead of appointing a full-time officer. Currently, around a dozen key departments — including the Home Department — are operating under additional charge. 

Retired Officials Make A Comeback

In Gujarat, retired officials are now filling in the gaps caused due to a shortage of qualified policymakers. For instance, Bankim Mehta, senior-most retired officer of the Industries Department, was hired on contract by the Industries Commissioner’s Office for policy-making work. Across various state departments, more than a dozen policy drafts are stuck at the final stage, yet they have been put on hold for further revisions. The draft of the Agro Business Policy submitted by the Agriculture Department has been rejected twice. 

Research Proposals Sought 

The Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) has invited subject experts to aid the policy-making process. Four key thematic areas have been identified: sustainability (net-zero emissions), economic development of tribal regions, innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture, and development of the services sector. Eligible applicants have been asked to submit proposals which can inform policy design and implementation. 

In-Charge Secretaries To The Field

In-charge ministers conduct on-ground visits to their assigned districts and now the Gujarat government has ordered in-charge secretaries to do so as well. The Chief Secretary will provide each officer with notes related to district-level administrative challenges, inter-departmental coordination, bottlenecks, policy planning, staff management, the progress of development works, review of central and state projects, and citizen-centric issues. Officials have also been tasked with verifying whether directives issued from Gandhinagar are being implemented effectively at district and taluka levels, ensuring strict compliance and monitoring the outcomes. At present, 34 senior officials from secretariat departments and public sector undertakings are serving as in-charge secretaries.

Applicants And Vacancies Outnumber Jobs

Over the last decade, the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) has only recommended 9,700 candidates for recruitment out of 3.37 million applicants. This is when advertised vacancies were 12,700. The data comes from four major agencies responsible for recruitment of government officers and employees in Gujarat. Similarly, the Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) recommended 49,000 candidates, the Gujarat Panchayat Service Selection Board (GPSSB) 16,700, and the Gujarat Police Recruitment Board (GPRB) 42,200 candidates. According to their annual report, almost half of the posts within the GPSC itself remain vacant.

Report Card For High-Impact Projects

The Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary of Gujarat have undertaken a review of high-impact projects, instructing officials to speed up work without compromising quality, especially in projects facing delays. Among the ₹11,360-crore portfolio, 17 major projects have been identified, including six in the Railways sector, six in Industries and 15 under the Urban Development Department. Sources say, delays in implementation of major projects are largely due to pending approvals and land-related challenges.

Tuning Into Bureaucracy

At the recently concluded Chintan Shibir, several IAS officers showcased their creative talent. Ashwini Kumar, Nitin Sangwan, and Alok Pandey performed popular Hindi songs, while Gandhinagar Collector Mehul Dave recited poetry in his native Kathiyawadi dialect. Many officers in the government are known to be fans of Kishore Kumar’s music. Chief Minister’s Chief Advisor Dr. Hasmukh Adhia also joined in. Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani rendered a Kishore Kumar classic. And the list goes on.