Gujarat chief secretaryship: Doubts quietly surface over Pandian's extension; Aloria already front-runner

GR Aloria           DJ Pandian

By Our Representative
While it is still five months to go for incumbent chief secretary of Gujarat, D Jagatheesa Pandian, a 1981 batch IAS bureaucrat, to retire from services, doubts have strangely crept in among top Sachivalaya babus that the top state bureaucrat, known for his closeness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may not be allowed an extension. While officials say nothing can be said about this at this stage with complete finality, already, the name of Ganga Ram Aloria of his batch is being widely quoted as the front-runner as next chief secretary.
The reason being advanced by state babus for Aloria's possible choice as next chief secretary on May 31 – the day Pandian retires – are several. First and foremost, it is suggested, Aloria has left “no stone unturned in pleasing the powers that be”, including Modi, when he was chief minister till May 2014, and later his successor Anandiben Patel. “It isn't without reason that Aloria has been handed over two of the most crucial portfolios, directly handled by Patel – home and urban development”, a senior bureaucrat, refusing to be named, said.
Secondly, Aloria is said to be one of the most active backstage organisers of the two high-profile events to take place in Gandhinagar with the direct participation of Modi – the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas of January 7, followed by the Vibrant Gujarat business meet of January 11. “He is totally involved in overseeing the preparations of security setup as additional chief secretary, home, and frequently alerts top cops on what's to be done”, a top bureaucrat said, adding, “He ensures that a complete brief of what all he does reaches the chief minister and the Prime Minister's office promptly.”
Finally, unlike many other colleagues, Aloria has meticulously kept is political bosses informed about every detail what all is happening in the babudom, and which babu thinks what. “He did this under Modi and continues it now. In doing so, he was performing his normal duty”, a senior official, who is known to be close to Aloria, said. In fact he earned Patel's “goodwill” when he was looking after financial matters of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd, the top state body implementing the Narmada project. “Formerly in revenue department, he was very fast in getting land acquired for Narmada canals”, an official said.
While Pandian's extension for another six months cannot theoretically be ruled out, those in the know of things say, in May 2015 Gujarat government cannot offer “any plausible explanation” for its need. There are no elections, the budget will already have been presented and discussed in the state assembly in February-March 2015, and there is no other emergency either. More, on retirement, Pandian may be “more than willing” to be go as chairman and managing director (CMD) of the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), where he remained for nearly a decade as MD.

Hasmukh Adhia

“Pandian wishes to fulfill his long-cherished dream to take GSPC to new heights, something which he thinks received a setback when he gave up after he was made state energy secretary till taking over as chief secretary on November 1, 2014”, a senior official said. “He wanted to ensure that hope in GSPC's KG Basin oil-and-gas exploration off Andhra coast is revived. His successors tried to play down the GSPC success by saying that the gas find in KG basin was less than 2 trillion cubic metre instead of the expected 20 tcf”, said a Pandian protagonist.
Further, if the chief minister Patel has developed a special liking for Aloria, who as in charge of urban development ensures that every town planning scheme is perused by her personally before clearing it, there is “no such thing for Pandian”. In fact, officials recall how Pandian was personally called and “reprimanded for the mess” he allegedly created while handing over an Indian map to the mediapersons during Chinese president Xi Jianping's visit to Gujarat last year. The map showed portions Kashmir as belonging to Pakistan and China.
No doubt, there is a possibility that Aloria's claim to be chief secretary may not succeed in case Hasmukh Adhia, his immediate senior in the 1981 batch, returns. “However, Adhia, who is immediate junior to Pandian, only recently went to Delhi as secretary, financial services, Government of India, and is significantly looking in charge of banking and other financial services”, a senior official said.
“He would have been the most preferred Modi choice. But currently, through Adhia – who in Gujarat was architect of Modi's RSS-style conclaves or shibirs, regularly organised for babus – Modi is constantly informed about the way corporate sector interacts with banks”, the official added.