Hours before the State Election Commission declared the dates for the coming local government body polls in Gujarat, the Home Department issued a notification giving additional charges of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) in several districts to 31 Deputy Superintendents (DySPs) and four Police Inspector rank officers.

In an order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Tuesday, two senior women IAS officers of Gujarat cadre have been appointed on central deputation. Additional Chief Secretary Food and Civil Supplies Department Mona Khandhar from the 1996 batch has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and Arti Kanwar (2001 batch), currently Chief Commissioner of State Tax, will now take up responsibility as Additional Secretary Ministry of Textiles. Also, 2001-batch IAS officer Vijay Nehra, who is already on central deputation as joint secretary department of health and family welfare, has been promoted as Additional Secretary in the same department.