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Chandigarh administration mulls extending Mayor’s term to 5 years

In Chandigarh, all executive powers rest with the Commissioner of the civic body, while the Mayor has none.

3 min readChandigarhNov 13, 2025 12:26 PM IST

A Mayor in Chandigarh is elected from amongst the elected councillors for a one-year term. (File)

The Chandigarh Administration is preparing to give a go ahead to enhance the Mayor’s term to five years. According to sources, Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has asked the UT officers to prepare a report on the matter in a meeting with the Chief Secretary and other officers that took place at Raj Bhawan.

Already, the Administrator has changed the way of voting in Mayoral elections by way of show of hands, which will be implemented in the next election in a bid to prevent cross voting.

“The Administrator has asked to prepare a report so that it can be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which will further decide on the issue. Already Panchkula and Mohali have the Mayor’s term for five years and a similar provision is being pushed for Chandigarh as well,” a senior official of the Chandigarh administration said.

A Mayor in Chandigarh is elected from amongst the elected councillors for a one-year term. Every year in January, the Mayor elections take place in the ‘City Beautiful’.

In Chandigarh, all executive powers rest with the Commissioner of the civic body, while the Mayor has none. The Mayor has just one power, which is to convene a House meeting or any meeting or just decide on which all agendas to bring in the General House meeting. All the previous Mayors have been complaining that despite them and the councillors being the only elected representative in the Union Territory (UT), they have no powers to get residents’ works done. A councillor or a Mayor has to request the administration officials and ensure a good bond to see that work is done.

In case if there is a Mayor in council as resolved by the General House as well, the Mayor and committee chairpersons will have powers at par with that of the Minister of State. The Mayor and chairpersons will have a say in every policy matter — a decision which at present is with the bureaucrats.

Currently, bureaucrats posted in Chandigarh have all the powers, be it overseeing the tender allotment or writing ACRs of employees. Even transfers and postings of the employees are decided by the bureaucrats. This will make the employees accountable to the Mayor else they don’t pay heed and listen only to the officers who come just for three years while a public representative is duly elected by the public.

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All these years it is the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976 that is extended to Chandigarh and governs all the civic body in Chandigarh. However certain laws of the Punjab MC act have also been diluted that are extended in Chandigarh.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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