Inside The Secretariat : Of Policy Blocks, Vande 'Babu' Trains And Staff Crunch

Impact Fee Opens Door, Fire NOC Shuts It

In Gujarat, a law was introduced to regularise unauthorised constructions through the impact fee system, and its deadline has been extended four times. However, applicants now find themselves caught between two conflicting laws of the government. 

While residential properties generally face fewer hurdles under the Impact Fee Act, commercial properties remain trapped. Even after paying the impact fee and obtaining a certificate of regularisation, commercial property owners are denied a fire NOC. 

According to fire safety regulations, many such premises are deemed unfit. As a result, owners of commercial buildings find themselves in a dilemma — legalised on paper under one law but non-compliant under another. Currently, only about 15 per cent of commercial buildings that applied under the impact fee scheme manage to get a fire NOC. 

After the tragic Rajkot game zone fire incident, fire safety norms are being implemented strictly across the state. Consequently, many property owners who had hoped to secure regularisation through payment of the impact fee are now stuck in the complexities of fire law. This has created a peculiar situation in Gujarat, where one government law provides relief while another blocks it.

Industrial Plots Costlier Amid Festive GST Benefits

While people in Gujarat are enjoying the benefits of reduced GST rates during the festive season, the state government has approved a 10-15  per cent hike in the allotment rates of plots distributed by the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC). 

The revised rates have already come into effect in 234 estates across the state. However, the allotment rates for multi-storey sheds remain unchanged. GIDC Vice Chairperson and Managing Director Praveena D K clarified that in seven estates where infrastructural facilities are yet to be completed, the new rates will not apply. 

Generally, such hikes are announced effective from April 1, but this time the revision has been introduced mid-financial year. Currently, Gujarat has a total of 239 industrial estates, hosting over 70,000 investors, with around 41,000 hectares of land already in use.

Vande Bharat For Babus

Over 300 officials, including all Gujarat government ministers, senior officers, and district collector-DDOs, will travel to Valsad and back on the ‘Vande Bharat’ train. The state government has organised the 12th Annual “Chintan Shivir” at the Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram in Valsad. 

Scheduled from November 13 to  November  15, the retreat will cover various themes, including nutrition and public health, capacity building, green energy, and the environment. The annual Chintan Shivir, conducted by the Administrative Reforms and Training Department, includes activities such as trekking, cycling, advanced meditation and yoga, and cultural programs at night, in which ministers and IAS officers actively participate. 

For commuting to the retreat, private or government vehicles will not be used; instead, travel will be arranged exclusively via the ‘Vande Bharat’ train. It is noteworthy that the Chintan Shivir in Gujarat was initiated in 2003 by Narendra Modi under the guidance of Hasmukh Adhia, who continues to provide guidance today as the Chief Minister’s chief advisor.

Staff Crunch Pushes Govt into Slow Hiring Mode

Many departments of the state government are suffering from staff shortages, and the government has begun making new appointments in one department after another. After the Home Department, recruitment has now been announced in the Revenue Department. 

Generally, there is a severe shortage of Class-3 officers and employees across departments. About a year ago, it was claimed that 14,820 vacant posts in the Home department would be filled. However, according to available figures, out of nearly one lakh sanctioned posts, more than 25,000 remain vacant. 

With the growing population, the police force has become highly inadequate, prompting the state government to start efforts to fill these vacancies. In the Revenue department, Talati posts were filled first, and now permission has been granted to fill more than 5,500 mamlatdar (Class-3) posts. 

However, key state departments such as Health, Urban Development, Panchayat, Education, Roads & Buildings, Labour, Industries, and Energy continue to face a serious shortage of Class-2 and Class-3 staff.

Four Key PSUs Left Leaderless as MD Posts Vacant

Managing Director positions have become vacant in some important boards and corporations of Gujarat, but permanent appointments have not been made yet. Among these, where the posts are vacant and an additional charge has been given to other officers, includes Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL). 

In this public enterprise, Avantika Singh, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been given additional charge, while in Gujarat State Fertilisers & Chemicals Limited (GSFC), Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Forest and Environment Department, has been given the additional charge of MD. 

In Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals (GNFC), T Natarajan, Principal Secretary of the Finance Department, and in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), Milind Torawane, Principal Secretary of the Panchayat Department, have been given the additional charge of MD. 

Interviews for the top post have already been conducted in three of these four government companies, yet a permanent appointment has not been made.

Forest Policy Stalls, Soil Cards Take Root

While the Gujarat government could not finalise a forest policy, it has succeeded in implementing the central government’s Forest Soil Health Card project. The project was initiated three years ago in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. 

A P Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of the Forest Force in Gujarat, said, “Soil samples were collected from 444 locations across the state at three different depths, totalling 1,215 samples. After analysis, the data have been used to prepare soil health cards for 28 territorial divisions. This will ensure that afforestation is tailored to the soil type of each area, preventing failures in sapling growth. This initiative was made possible under the central government’s CAMPA fund.” 

Notably, the forest department recently created a Miyawaki forest in Dholera, where the soil was tested to determine which tree species could thrive. The Forest Soil Health Cards were prepared by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) based in Dehradun.

Retiree Extensions Stall Jobs and Careers

Several government departments, where engineering officers are essential, continue to have key positions vacant, but regular recruitment is not conducted. State employee unions have been raising this issue for several years. 

Departments like Roads and Buildings, Irrigation, Water Resources, and Water Supply require engineers from various disciplines. From educational institutions, engineers graduate in fields such as Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Communication, IT, Chemical, and Aerospace. 

A large pool of engineers remains unemployed or survives on low-paying jobs in private companies. On the other hand, the government often has a significant shortage of engineers. In such circumstances, the government relies on extensions or contract appointments. 

Recently, the Secretary of the Water Resources Department, P C Vyas, retired, but was given a one-year extension. If this position had been filled through promotion, a senior engineer would have benefited. A senior engineer comments, “As long as the practice of extensions continues in the government, officers waiting for promotion will face injustice, and the unemployed will be delayed in getting government jobs.”

Turning the Tide: Gujarat’s War on Child Marriage

Despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which prescribes a fine of ₹1 lakh and two years of imprisonment, child marriages are still taking place in Gujarat. Nationally, West Bengal and Jharkhand record the highest numbers of child marriages. 

In the last three years, around 3,000 such cases have been officially reported across India, of which about 35 are from Gujarat. According to data from voluntary organisations, over 1.22 lakh child marriages were prevented in a single year through timely intervention, though the number of unreported cases remains very high. 

To curb this social evil, helpline numbers have been publicised in several districts of Gujarat, and gram sabhas are increasingly addressing the issue. Under the guidance of two IAS officers — Principal Secretary Milind Torawane and Development Commissioner Hitesh Koya — the state’s Rural Development Department has planned gram sabhas across all villages on October 2. 

The focus will be on the Child Marriage-Free Gujarat Campaign. What has raised eyebrows is that October 2 coincides with both Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra, a double holiday. Yet, staff have been ordered to remain present at gram sabhas, causing discontent among panchayat officials and employees.