Gujarat AAP MLA Gopal Italia proposes night-time government offices for citizens

Aam Aadmi Party's Visavadar MLA Gopal Italia has written to the Chief Minister of Gujarat, proposing that government offices across the state remain open from 2 PM to 9 PM to make public services more accessible.

In his letter, Italia highlighted that citizens often need to visit multiple government offices for day-to-day work. “Every applicant has to take leave from their job or work to visit government offices. If the work is not completed in a single visit, applicants have to take leave repeatedly, resulting in financial loss,” he wrote.

He noted that several essential services, including police stations, fire brigades, ST bus stations, toll plazas, government hospitals, and other public services, already operate during night hours. Italia suggested that opening other public-facing offices in the evening would similarly benefit citizens. “Therefore, if essential public-facing government offices are also kept open from 2 PM to 9 PM, people would not have to take leave from work and would find it easier to complete their tasks,” he added.

Italia further emphasized that people engaged in jobs, businesses, or agricultural work throughout the day should be able to complete their government-related work peacefully after finishing their daily responsibilities. He recommended that Mamlatdar offices, municipal offices, taluka panchayat offices, electricity department offices, municipal corporation ward and zone offices, sub-divisional (Prant) offices, and village panchayat offices be included in this schedule.

He questioned the current inconsistency, asking, “If government toll plazas can remain open throughout the night, why Mamlatdar offices, village panchayat offices, taluka panchayat offices, and Prant offices cannot remain open until 9:00 PM?” Italia urged the state government to consider starting night offices to allow citizens to complete their work without having to take leave from their jobs or businesses.