Gujarat govt's 3-day brainstorming session begins

Stressing the need for a sensitive and transparent approach, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today asked the officials to prepare a ten-point road-map to solve people's problems.

He was speaking at the three-day "Chintan Shibir", a brainstorming session of the state government, which began here on the premises of Gujarat State Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GSFC).

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, other ministers and senior bureaucrats are attending the session.

A government release said that over 200 participants, including probationary IAS officers, took part in various discussions today.

Key issues which were discussed included challenges of urban administration.

Topics such as new opportunities in the agricultural sector, measures to bring down infant and maternal mortality rates, malnutrition, rural development and improving the quality of education will be discussed in the next two days.

In his opening remarks, Rupani asked bureaucrats not to stick only to government resolutions (GRs).

"Instead of just following what has been mentioned in the GRs, you need to take the gist of it and take decisions related to pro-people works with sensitive and transparent approach," he said.

Indecisiveness is a hindrance to development, he said.

"It is necessary to take prompt decisions. People have a perception that only those governments which take prompt decisions are pro-people governments. So we need to change our work culture and create a system where people's work is done easily," he said.

The chief minister asked all the departments to prepare a 10-point road-map for solving people's problems.

The last such session was held in 2015.

The first Chintan Shibir had been been held in 2004, when Narendra Modi was the chief minister.

Ahead of today's meet, opposition Congress said the Shibir symbolised the "five-star" culture of the ruling BJP.

"This Shibir is a symbol of BJP's five-star culture. Today farmers in Gujarat are not getting water. People are not getting drinking water. Corruption has become rampant under the BJP rule," Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda said.

"Instead of solving these problems, the BJP government is busy enjoying five-star amenities," he said.

Responding to the Congress's barb, Rupani said the opposition party always tries to incite people with an eye on electoral gains.

"The Congress always tries to incite people keeping elections in mind. The Congress-led UPA ruled India for ten years. People still demand answers as to what they did for farmers. A large number of farmers committed suicide during the Congress regime," Rupani said, talking to reporters.

"In those ten years, they did not take a decision about Narmada (dam), which deprived people of water. The Congress does politics on every issue and tries to incite people for political gains," he said.