Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 24 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has issued firm directives to police and district administrative authorities across the state to take strict action against antisocial elements who harass or intimidate citizens.
He said that the police must act decisively to instil a deterrent fear of the law among those engaging in unlawful and antisocial activities.
These instructions came during the State-Level "SWAGAT" Online Public Grievance Redressal Program for July 2025, following a heartfelt representation by a rural citizen who reported that certain miscreants had blocked access to his farmland and physically assaulted him, release said.
Responding with empathy, the Chief Minister instructed that strict action be taken against the perpetrators. He directed the concerned District Collector and Superintendent of Police to immediately provide police protection to the citizen, take stringent action against the miscreants, and ensure that access to his farmland is promptly restored.
The State SWAGAT Program, held on the fourth Thursday of every month, provides a platform for citizens to present their grievances directly to the Chief Minister in Gandhinagar. In July 2025, a total of 108 individuals submitted various representations during the program.
After reviewing the submissions, the Public Relations Unit of the Chief Minister's Office forwarded 97 cases to the relevant district authorities, including District Development Officers, District Superintendents of Police, and other concerned departments for appropriate action.
The Chief Minister personally heard 11 representations and directed officials to adopt a positive approach and take prompt, effective steps toward resolution. These cases included issues such as the removal of encroachments from grazing land, clearing unauthorised occupations of public spaces, and updating names on GIDC commercial plot documents.
The state-level SWAGAT program was attended by Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, M.K. Das, and Additional Principal Secretary Avantika Singh, Secretary Vikrant Pandey, and OSDs to the Chief Minister, Dhiraj Parikh and Rakesh Vyas, along with senior officials from the relevant departments.
According to the Chief Minister's Public Relations Unit, action was also taken in response to 1,323 representations received during District SWAGAT, 2,879 at Taluka SWAGAT, and 239 at Village SWAGAT in July 2025.