Inside The Secretariat: IPS Rejig On Cards, Bribery Cases, & Copper Mines Project

State Debt Outpaces Budget Size

The Gujarat government has pegged the size of its 2026–27 budget at ₹4.08 lakh crore, but this now appears modest when set against the State’s mounting public debt. Gujarat’s total outstanding debt has already touched around ₹4.30 lakh crore, and is projected to rise further to ₹4.87 lakh crore by the end of March 2026. In effect, the State’s debt burden is overtaking the size of its annual budget. Defending the situation, a senior official from the Finance Department said that public debt, as a percentage of GSDP, is expected to increase to 14.65% in the next financial year—still significantly lower than the national average. While the share of NSSF loans has sharply declined from 39.51% to 4.7%, market borrowings now account for a record-high 83.04% of the State’s total debt. Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary T. Natarajan noted that Gujarat’s per capita income has risen to ₹3 lakh, which is 1.6 times higher than the national average. He also pointed out that the State’s contribution to India’s GDP has increased to 8.3%, underscoring Gujarat’s growing role in the national economy despite the rising debt levels.

A Tale Of Two Retired IAS Officers

Two recently retired IAS officers are in the spotlight for contrasting reasons—one caught in the web of cyber hacking, and the other in a prolonged wait for post-retirement re-employment. Former Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department, Kamal Dayani, fell victim to cyber criminals after his social media account was hacked. The fraudsters allegedly used the compromised account to seek money from his friends and contacts. Dayani has since initiated legal proceedings in the matter. The second officer, J.P. Gupta, has been in the news for his continued pursuit of a government assignment after retirement. At the time of superannuation, Gupta was assured that his services would be utilised by the government in the future. However, with no decision taken so far, he has been frequently seen visiting the State Assembly during the Budget Session, hoping for clarity. Notably, both officers retired in July last year.

Major Reshuffle Likely In IPS Cadre

A major reshuffle in the State’s IPS cadre is on the cards. According to sources, transfer and posting orders are likely to be issued during or soon after the ongoing Assembly session. With elections to local self-government bodies approaching, the Home Department has reportedly initiated the process. Significantly, around 10 IPS officers of the 2011 batch—who were promoted from SP to DIG rank—have remained without postings for several months. Similarly, six officers from the 2012 batch have not been assigned postings even after being promoted as DIGs. Adding to the churn, the posting of senior IPS officer Shamsher Singh, a 1991-batch officer, has become a subject of discussion within the Home Department. After returning to Gujarat from deputation with the BSF, following the appointment of K.L.N. Rao as the State’s new in-charge DGP in January, Shamsher Singh has yet to be given a posting. All eyes are now on when and how the Home Department finalises this long-awaited reshuffle, which is expected to have a bearing on the administrative and law-and-order setup ahead of the upcoming elections.

Climate Change Department Sans Full-Time Secretary

While countries across the world are stepping up efforts to combat climate change, Gujarat’s response appears to have been pushed into cold storage, with the issue receiving little administrative attention. Although the State government established a dedicated Climate Change Department years ago, it remains one of the few departments that rarely has a full-time Secretary in charge. The last full-time posting was given to 2004-batch IAS officer Rahul Gupta as Secretary, Climate Change. However, after his transfer last year to the Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Department, instead of appointing a new full-time Secretary, the government assigned him only an additional charge of the Climate Change Department. This administrative gap comes at a time when the government has announced two key initiatives—promotion of rooftop solar systems on government buildings and subsidies for the purchase of battery-operated vehicles.

GMDC’s Copper Mines Project Put on Fast Track

The long-awaited Ambaji copper mines project, closely pursued over the past two years by Roopvant Singh, Managing Director of the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC), has finally moved to the fast track. In the State budget, the government announced that the corporation’s copper mining project, along with the proposed coal gasification of underground lignite reserves, will be taken forward at a combined cost of ₹1,000 crore. Budgetary allocations of ₹613 crore for the copper mines and ₹300 crore for the coal gasification project have been made. Located in the hilly Ambaji region of north Gujarat, the mines spread across 185 hectares and are estimated to contain minerals worth nearly ₹22,000 crore, including copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver. Significantly, this project will mark Gujarat’s first underground mining operation. Roopvant Singh has been serving as MD of GMDC since 2023, and the fast-tracking of this project is being seen as a major boost to the state’s mining and mineral development roadmap.

Class III Officials Top Bribery Cases in Gujarat

A striking trend has emerged from bribery cases in Gujarat: Class III officials account for the bulk of corruption incidents. According to official data from the Home Department, 187 officials were caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in bribery cases over the past year, of whom around 130 belonged to Class III services. In contrast, cases involving Class I officers were limited to just 13. Another notable shift is seen in department-wise data. Traditionally, the Urban Development Department topped bribery statistics, but it has now been overtaken by the Home Department. The highest number of cases—63—were registered against officials of the Home Department, followed by the Revenue Department with 27 cases, the Panchayat Department with 17, the Education Department with 10, and the Urban Development Department with only seven cases. However, the conviction rate remains a concern. Of the total bribery cases, only 37 have resulted in convictions so far, while 101 accused officials have been acquitted, raising questions about the effectiveness of prosecution and deterrence mechanisms.

Old Habits Die Hard

More than two decades ago, a senior official advised the government that if State-run corporations and public sector undertakings (PSUs) were managed with a corporate mindset rather than a traditional bureaucratic approach, they could turn profitable. The advice paid off: five to seven state PSUs successfully moved from chronic losses to record profits. However, over the past decade, neglect of governance and performance oversight has taken its toll. Nearly a dozen PSUs have either been shut down or forced to merge with other entities due to mounting losses and weak performance. Now, it appears that Chief Secretary M.K. Das—after issuing clear instructions to Secretariat departments and district administrations—has turned his attention to PSUs. While he has openly appreciated PSUs that are delivering profits and showing strong governance, he has also begun pulling up managing directors of loss-making corporations where deficits are widening, and performance remains poor. The coming months will reveal whether this renewed focus can finally reform these “white elephant” public enterprises and put them back on a sustainable path.