Centre to decide
The Gujarat government is keen to extend the tenure of the state chief secretary, Varesh Sinha, for an unprecedented third time. And in the Modi dispensation, this means that the move needs the sanction of the PMO. Sources say that chief minister Anandiben Patel is keen to retain Mr Sinha’s services for the forthcoming Vibrant Gujarat summit in January 2015. For this reason, the state government is willing to defy the rules which state that a chief secretary’s service cannot be extended beyond six months after retirement.
It is now up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decide whether to adhere to the rules or make an exception. His decision, sources say, will determine the fate of three senior babus who are in contention for the position of CS — S.K. Nanda, D.J. Pandian and Hasmukh Adhia. Apparently, Mr Nanda is the senior-most IAS officer after Mr Sinha in the state, but the decision, seemingly, will be taken in Delhi not Ahmedabad.
Thnking Caps
Most of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s actions since it came to power have been directed at transforming the moribund bureaucracy. Improving governance is after all Narendra Modi’s key mantra. Now Modi sarkar wants babus to come up with innovative ideas that can help achieve this goal. Next month, for perhaps the first time, a chintan shivir of sorts, is being held to encourage babus to share experiences and suggest ideas for the future. According to sources, personnel secretary Sanjay Kothari, has written to chief secretaries of all states to ensure participation by babus, who have put in at least 12-14 years of service, to brainstorm and suggest changes.
