Gujarat CM on his priority in run-up to CWG 2030: Fixing AQI, building infra

Patel’s government has also been aggressively hiring and fixing its governance and administration, largely based on recommendations of the Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC) appointed early this year.

His cabinet saw an overhaul in October, with new ministers being sworn in along with a deputy chief minister in Harsh Sanghavi, who also holds the sports portfolio.

In the last six months, the government has hired teachers, health workers and policemen to fill the long-pending vacancies to strengthen the “frontline service delivery”, Patel said, adding that his government is focusing on “moving away from reactive hiring toward a binding 10-year recruitment calendar”.

About the CWG 2030, Patel said that detailed economic impact assessments are being carried out to ensure that investments remain “financially responsible and sustainable”.

“Gujarat is working to  ensure that the road to 2030 becomes a global benchmark – not just for hosting a sporting event, but for showcasing the idea of a truly Viksit Gujarat”, he said.

Emphasising how “monitoring systems” had been put in place to ensure timelines are met, the CM said that a Governance Performance Index (GPI) is in place, which he personally monitors through the CM Dashboard.

“Some of the areas in the state which are really doing well on GPI are industries and investments. With the help of real-time tracking, I do not need to ask any department about how long the issue has been pending or what measures have been taken for people-oriented schemes,” he said.

He also cited the Statewide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology (SWAGAT) platform as an effective mechanism to address grievances of citizens, mostly about “land-related matters”.

“The mechanism is completely apolitical. To date, I have not received a single reference from any political representative in support of or against the complaints or their redressal. However, certainly I have often told the district and taluka level concerned authorities to work effectively to get the complaints resolved at their level itself,” the CM said.