Om Prakash takes charge as Rajkot collector
Before this, he served as the municipal commissioner of Junagadh and held the position of deputy municipal commissioner in Ahmedabad.
One of the immediate and significant challenges before him is overseeing the organization of Rajkot's renowned Janmashtami fair. In the wake of the TRP Game Zone fire tragedy, the authorities are implementing strict safety regulations for public events. Ride operators have been urging the administration to ease some restrictions.
Addressing mediapersons, Om Prakash emphasized that public safety remains top priority. "We won't compromise on any policies during the Janmashtami fair. This fair holds great significance for the people of Rajkot. We will hold discussions with all stakeholders to arrive at a balanced and practical solution," he said.
He also addressed the ongoing traffic issues on the Jetpur highway, which is currently under construction. Drawing on his experience from his previous posting, he remarked, "Having served in Junagadh before Rajkot, I am aware of the condition of this road. I will coordinate with the National Highways Authority of India to expedite the work."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Absentee senior IAS officers should be tied up and brought to House like it was done in British Parliament, suggests BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar in Maharashtra legislative assembly
Mumbai: Criticising senior bureaucrats for skipping key discussions in the assembly related to their own departments, BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday said that if secretaries do not attend even after being summoned, they should be tied up and brought to the legislature like it was done in the British Parliament. Panel Speaker Chetan Tupe mentioned that often, officials watch the proceedings on television, so their TV sets should be switched off so that they come to the House. Mungantiwar raised the issue of the absentee senior IAS officers after around 50 MLAs moved a motion for discussion on important public issues in the legislative assembly under Rule 293. He said: "When I was an MLA in 1995, the department secretaries used to sit in on important discussions. If the secretaries do not attend even after being called, can we give them some directions, like the way such officials were tied up and brought in the British Parliament?" You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Pointing out that it is necessary for secretaries of the departments concerned to be present during discussions in the House, Mungantiwar said: "The discussion under Rule 293 is necessary for the progress of the state. We proposed the discussion to create a happy, prosperous, advanced, progressive, reformist Maharashtra. The ministers may be busy with the work of their departments, but why is not a single secretary sitting in the House?" Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar backed Mungantiwar. "I have been elected for the last 40 there was no space to sit in the was difficult to accommodate all officers. But if there is such apathy today, how will the state's issues be resolved? Mungantiwar gave the example of the British Parliament, where there was an option to tie up secretaries and bring them here, let's see if something can be done," Khotkar said. Responding to the two MLAs' grievances, Tupe said, "...govt should take the issue and the feelings of the members seriously, and take appropriate action in this regard. Often these officials watch the proceedings on TV. If necessary, their TVs should be switched off so that they will get used to coming to the House." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
News18
7 hours ago
- News18
Gadkari Condemns Assault On NHAI Officer By Himachal Minister: 'Deeply Reprehensible'
Last Updated: Nitin Gadkari took "serious cognisance" of the matter and said that he had spoken with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu regarding the same Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday condemned the 'heinous assault" on a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officer, allegedly carried out by Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh Rana, calling the incident 'deeply reprehensible". Achal Jindal complained that he had been assaulted on Monday during a site inspection where a five-storey residential building had collapsed in the Bhattakuffar area of Shimla. 'The heinous assault on Shri Achal Jindal, Manager, NHAI PIU Shimla, allegedly by the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Himachal Pradesh, and his associates, is deeply reprehensible and an affront to the rule of law. Such a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official duties not only endangers individual safety but also erodes institutional integrity," said Gadkari in an X post. The heinous assault on Shri Achal Jindal, Manager, NHAI PIU Shimla, allegedly by the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Himachal Pradesh, and his associates, is deeply reprehensible and an affront to the rule of law. Such a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official…— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 1, 2025 He further took 'serious cognisance" of the matter and said that he had spoken with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, 'urging immediate and exemplary action against all perpetrators." 'Accountability must prevail, and justice must be delivered without delay," he added. BJP leader Anurag Thakur, who is also a Member of Parliament from the Hamirpur seat in Himachal Pradesh, also condemned the incident, saying that government officials are feeling unsafe in the state under the current Congress-led government's regime. 'Is there even a government in Himachal Pradesh?" Thakur asked, reacting strongly to the assault on an NHAI official. 'When government officials are being beaten up and no action is taken, how can they feel safe? The Chief Minister must take strict and immediate action against those responsible." Dhalli Police Station House Officer (SHO) Virochan Negi said that a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against the minister under Sections 132, 121(1), 352, 126(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint was lodged by Jindal, who serves as the manager (technical) at the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Shimla. These sections pertain to offences involving assault or use of criminal force against a public servant with the intent to obstruct them from performing their official duties. The alleged incident took place on Monday, according to Jindal's complaint.
Scroll.in
7 hours ago
- Scroll.in
Gujarat HC issues contempt notice to Junagadh municipal officials for demolishing dargah
The Gujarat High Court on Friday issued a contempt notice to former Junagadh Municipal Commissioner Om Prakash and Senior Town Planner Vivek Kiran Parekh for allegedly acting in defiance of a Supreme Court order and a state government policy by demolishing an old dargah in April. The court asked the officials to respond to the notice by July 28, when the matter will be heard next. The Jok Alisha Dargah in Junagadh was demolished on April 17 despite a pending legal case and submissions by the dargah's trustee citing the site's historical and religious significance, The Indian Express reported. The shrine is claimed to be 300 years old. A division bench of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachhani observed that the civic officials appeared to have acted in violation of the Supreme Court's 2018 order regarding the handling of unauthorised religious structures as well as a subsequent policy of the state government. The High Court pointed out that the Supreme Court had ordered that no unauthorised religious structure should be allowed on public property and that existing ones should be reviewed on case-by-case basis. A 2024 state government policy requires officials to form committees and appoint nodal officers to handle such cases properly, the petitioner had argued. Despite this, the senior town planner issued a notice on January 31, demanding documents to prove the shrine's ownership within three days. The petitioner had submitted the records on February 3 along with references to the 2018 Supreme Court order and pending proceedings before the High Court. A final notice was issued on April 9, asking for the removal of the structure within five days. The trustee responded to the notice on April 15, reiterating the historical value of the shrine. However, the structure was demolished on April 17. The court was hearing a contempt plea filed by the shrine's trustee under the 1971 Contempt of Courts Act. The dargah, located at Gandhi Chowk, is registered under the Gujarat State Waqf Board. It was registered in 1964, the petitioner said. 'Further, annual Urs celebrations have also been held with prior permissions, including the use of loudspeakers,' The Indian Express quoted the petition as saying. According to the plea, the Junagadh civic body ignored the Supreme Court's directive and a pending civil petition before the High Court while proceeding with the demolition.
