Ahmedabad Diary | Deputy Speaker resigns, triggers political buzz
Gujarat Assembly Deputy Speaker Jetha Bharwad has resigned from his post. He submitted his resignation letter to Speaker Shankar Chaudhary in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma and organisation minister Ratnakar, and it was accepted immediately. While the move triggered political speculations, Bharwad said he stepped down voluntarily due to an excessive workload, multiple responsibilities and to give others an opportunity. A senior BJP leader and three-time MLA from Shahra in Panchmahal district, Bharwad has also held key roles in the cooperative sector. DGP race heats up as Vikas Sahay set to retire With DGP Vikas Sahay set to retire on December 31, speculations have started doing the rounds over his successor, signalling a major leadership change in the Gujarat police. The state government is in the final stages of preparing a panel of senior IPS officers to be sent to the UPSC, as per norms. Sources say the process could be completed within a week. Three names dominate the discussion: CID (crime chief) K L N Rao (1993 batch), Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G S Malik (1994 batch), and Recruitment Board chairperson Neerja Gotaru (1993 batch). The Centre will finalise the panel before the state announces the new DGP. Another bureaucratic reshuffle on the cards Days after transferring 26 IAS officers, the state is preparing the ground for another round of administrative reshuffle. The latest changes saw Sanjeev Kumar (1998 batch) appointed as the Principal Secretary to the CM with additional charge of the home department, while Vikrant Pandey (2005 batch) became Additional Principal Secretary to the CM with charge of information and broadcasting. However, multiple departments still function under additional charge. With five senior officers of the 1996 batch to be promoted as Additional Chief Secretaries on January 1, sources indicate that a fresh reshuffle is imminent. Dilip Singh Kshatriya Our correspondent in Gujarat dilipsingh@newindianexpress.com
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