Modi's Man Friday in Gujarat gets one year extension; "good news" for chief secretary

By A Representative
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Man Friday in Gujarat chief minister's office (CMO) K Kailashnathan has got one year extension, dodging rumours that he would sent as governor to a south Indian state, or alternatively would be shifted to Delhi to "serve" the PM. The extension once again suggests that Kailashnathan, who retired two years ago, holds the key in Gujarat's administrative affairs, as Modi's chief contact person in Gandhinagar.
Kailashnathan's extension, say sources, is a "good news" for present Gujarat chief secretary D Jagatheesa Pandian as well. Under criticism from a section of the Gujarat cadre IAS bureaucrats, Pandian is being particularly sought to be cornered for his alleged "failure" to revive the premier state public sector undertaking (PSU), Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), which was recently forced to drop its expensive oil and gas explorations both in Krishna-Godavari Basin (KG) off Andhra Pradesh coast as well as in Egypt and other countries, where it won bids.
Pandian was GSPC managing-director for most of the last decade, and he backed Modi's 2005 announcement that the GSPC's oil-and-gas KG Basin exploration was 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf), highest by any Indian oil-and-gas company so far. It was later found, however, that the GSPC's exploration was not more than 2 tcf, out of only one third was recoverable.

Pandian

The Gujarat government has already applied for Pandian's six month extension, a knowledgeable source said, pointing out, "Even the application for a six-month extension to Pandian would not have been possible without Modi's nod. He will certainly get it."

However, the source insisted, this "does not augur well for the person who is the immediate junior of Pandian, GR Aloria, additional chief secretary, home and urban development, who was almost sure to become the chief secretary on Pandian's retirement in May-end 2015."
The sources suspect, Aloria may not become chief secretary despite the fact that he had considerably "improved" his chances recently. He moved against Ford Foundation: Indeed, it was under his direction only, the sources say, the Gujarat home department wrote a letter to the Union home ministry to "investigate" Ford Foundation's funding of prominent human rights activist Teesta Setalvad's NGO, saying it has helped communal discord.

Aloria

Already, as in charge of finance in the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), Aloria worked overtime to acquire land for quickly constructing canals in the Narmada command area, earning goodwill from chief minister Anandiben Patel. The canal work was lying idle for several years, drawing lot of criticism on the Gujarat government from various quarters for several years.
"If Pandian gets six month extension, it means he would finally quit as head of the state administration in November 2015, leaving just eight months as chief secretary", sources said, adding, "If that happens, instead of Aloria, a decision may possibly be taken to install JN Singh, state finance secretary, who is one of most competent bureaucrats, as the next junior to Aloria, as the new chief secretary of Gujarat."

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

Women’s rights alliance seeks NCW action against Nitish Kumar over public veil incident

By A Representative An alliance of women’s rights activists has urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to initiate legal action against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident at a public function in Patna that they allege amounted to a grave violation of a Muslim woman’s dignity and constitutional rights. In a detailed complaint dated December 18, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), sought the NCW’s immediate intervention following an episode on December 15 during the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors in Patna.

Search This Blog