Ahmedabad: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed officials to formulate a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to eliminate delays in development projects and issued a series of instructions aimed at improving administrative efficiency, accelerating infrastructure works, and strengthening public services during a State Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

Sharing details of the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, government spokesperson and Minister Jitubhai Vaghani said Patel issued several key directives to bring greater transparency and speed to governance while prioritising citizens’ convenience.

Vaghani said the Chief Minister instructed officials to complete pre-monsoon preparedness work across the state at the earliest in view of the approaching monsoon season. Departments have been directed to ensure all necessary arrangements are in place so that citizens do not face inconvenience during heavy rains.

The Chief Minister also directed authorities to immediately identify water sources and make arrangements to fill ponds developed by municipalities and municipal corporations in urban areas that are currently dry.

To speed up development projects, Patel has initiated an intensive review of various ongoing works in the state. Vaghani said the Chief Minister emphasised the need to obtain key approvals, such as No Objection Certificates (NOCs), particularly from land acquisition and forest departments, without delay after projects are approved.

To streamline the process and avoid initial delays in project implementation, Patel instructed the Chief Secretary to formulate a new SOP.

The Chief Minister also stressed that no compromise should be made on the quality of ongoing construction and infrastructure works. He instructed officials to ensure there are no engineering flaws, including issues related to alignment, levelling and flooring, and directed engineers to remain vigilant and undertake immediate corrective measures wherever required.

In addition, Patel directed the Urban Development Department to allocate necessary funds for promoting tree plantation activities in municipal areas across the state.

Vaghani further said the Chief Minister suggested creating a separate budgetary head for cleanliness initiatives at gram panchayat, taluka panchayat and district panchayat levels to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachhta Hi Seva campaign at the grassroots level. DeshGujarat