Jayanti Ravi, Gujarat cadre IAS officer, currently serving as Principal Secretary in the state Health and Family and Welfare Department, has been appointed as Secretary, Auroville Foundation in Tamil Nadu, on deputation. The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet had approved Ravi’s deputation on May 24.
Ravi, who was the principal health secretary of Gujarat during Corona’s tenure, was embroiled in controversies. The Covid-19 cases in the state have been declining and her sudden transfer has become a hot topic amid the secretariat and the top officials.
With the onset of the pandemic in Gujarat, Jayanti Ravi shouldered the responsibility as the principal health secretary. Especially during the first wave of Covid-19, Gujarat’s health system was overwhelmed, while during the second wave, there was a shortage of oxygen and several other medical amenities and that led to the prevailing medical exigencies in the state.
After the first wave of Covid-19 hit Gujarat, Jayanti Ravi had made representations for her transfer outside the state, preferably to Tamil Nadu, but the second wave of Corona in the state caused a stir and the Central Government stopped her transfer at that time. While the covid cases have dropped sharply in the second wave, her sudden transfer order this morning before the third wave arrives, it has become a topic of much discussion.
Meanwhile, sources in the secretariat said that Jayanti Ravi, who was embroiled in several controversies while serving as the principal health secretary during the Corona period, is believed to be the cause of an internal feud between the chief minister and the deputy chief minister. While the Chief Minister was unaware of some of the decisions taken with the Health Minister and the Health Principal Secretary, she was annoyed that Health Minister Nitin Patel was not informed of some of the decisions taken with the CM.
Many questions were raised against Jayanti Ravi’s performance as Health Secretary during the pandemic in Gujarat, especially some of her decisions that angered the government. The internal contradictions between Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, during the Covid-19 crisis, made the seat hotter. The Deputy Chief Minister was annoyed when some decisions were taken on the instructions of the Chief Minister. Nevertheless, the Chief Minister was also ‘unaware’, and the blame was shifted on Jayanti Ravi.
During a recent visit to the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar bridge under construction, Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Nitin Patel were asked by the media about the sale of vaccines at Rs 1,000 in Ahmedabad. I don’t have the information as to whether that has happened. Nitin Patel left after retorting to the query.
Meanwhile, in a press conference, Vijay Rupani, while expounding the situation of the pandemic in the state, said that there were 58 cases in the district. Meanwhile, Vijay Rupani was asked by a journalist if Jayanti Ravi had said 14 cases. Replying to this, Vijaybhai Rupani said, “I don’t know.”
In particular, there were complaints of inconsistencies in government decisions— including the provision of Remdesivir injections, hospital beds and oxygen, and finally the vaccination system— among all the senior ministers or officials, including Jayanti Ravi.
In the year 2002, Dr. Jayanti Ravi was the Collector of Panchmahal District. Since then she has been making important contributions in departments like Education Department, Rural Development Prime Minister’s Office.