Gujarat CM doesn't have email ID, his office has no records of his announcements, or how these were implemented

By A Representative
Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani does not have any official email address, nor has he appointed any official-level committee to implement the announcements he has made over the years. This has been revealed in a Right to Information (RTI) reply, received in response to an RTI application filed by Mujahid Nafees, an Ahmedabad resident, who happens to be convenor of the Minorities Coordination Committee (MCC).
An upcoming NGO which has mobilised minorities across Gujarat over the last couple of years, MCC, a non-political body, has been successful in raising developmental issues with the Gujarat officialdom. It has offered different types of programmes to "wake up" the administration towards the minorities' needs. These range from writing post cards to the chief minister and holding meeting with the Gujarat chief secretary, to holding mass meetings and rallies.
In its reply RTI, the General Administration Department (GAD), which happens to fall directly under the chief minister, has said that the Gujarat government has "no record" of those who meet Rupani, nor does it have any information about "the expenses incurred by the Chief Minister's Office" on those who come and meet the chief minister.
It further said, there is no committee to implement the announcements made by the chief minister, adding, the department does not have any information about what all the Chief Minister has announced during the three year period ending March 31, 2018, for which the information was sought.

Copy of RTI reply

While the GAD also refused to part with the mobile number, along with email ID, of the chief minister, Nafees commented, "Big advertisements to go digital in everyday life do not seem to have made any difference to the chief minister of India's 'model' state, Gujarat, where the chief minister, who, we now know, does not even have an official email address."
"Also, the replies suggest, the announcements made by the chief minister, who has been hand-picked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appear to have not implemented at all, with their execution remaining limited to paper, as the state government has officially admitted that it does not have any mechanism to implement them", he added.
Nafees' RTI plea follows his efforts to convey developmental concerns of the minorities directly to the chief minister through email or directly meet him. Despite his efforts, he failed to get an appointment, nor did the officialdom part with any email address of the chief minister, where Nafees could send the concerns.
The ten pleas made by the activist in his RTI application included the demand to provide details of the announcements made by Rupani between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2018, details of committee formed, if any, to implement them, and how these have been implemented.
Known in the officialdom for his administrative acumen, Rupani lately, however, is said to be feeling politically uneasy, with reports in vernacular media suggesting that he may have resign from his high post. In fact, quoting sources around Modi, a report said, ahead of the 2019 elections, the BJP high command may have a new face as chief minister.

Comments

Uma said…

Does Modi know that oneof his chosen ones is "non-digital"? Or is deniability their plan?

June 14, 2018

Gram sabha as reformer: Mandla’s quiet challenge to the liquor economy

By Raj Kumar Sinha* This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

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.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

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.

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.

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

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.

Search This Blog