Chandigarh moving towards Article 240? Writing is on the wall, just read carefully

Here’re some notable developments:

Central service rules: During his visit to Chandigarh for inaugurating several projects, union Home Minister Amit Shah in 2022 made a surprise announcement that Central Civil Service Rules will be implemented for all UT employees under Chandigarh Administration now. Till then they were being covered under Punjab Civil Service rules.

With this announcement, all employees are getting pay scale under the Central service rules. This also enhanced the retirement age from 58 to 60. Also, as per the new rules, now all women employees get child care leave of two years instead of one year.

The Central civil service rules that were implemented for Chandigarh employees by the Centre were in force up to 1991 in Chandigarh but were changed to Punjab service rules later after several demands and protests.

More power for AGMUT cadre: More and more significant posts in bureaucratic structure of Chandigarh are going to AGMUT cadre officers.

The key posts in Chandigarh bureaucratic set-up are increasingly being given to AGMUT cadre officers.

AGMUT cadre Hari Kallikkat was given key department of MD CITCO which was earlier with Punjab officer.

Even health department which would be previously with Home Secretary, a senior IAS from Haryana, is with AGMUT cadre Ajay Chagti. After repatriation of the then Home Secretary Arun Gupta, who was Secretary health, this charge was given to UT cadre officers.

Even Transport Secretary post is now being held by a Punjab cadre officer. The post of Finance Secretary was with the then Deputy Commissioner Mandip Brar. Brar, Haryana cadre IAS, is now Home Secretary in Chandigarh.

The posts of Assistant Estate Officers are all with UT cadre officers. AEO building, AEO Residential are Khushpreet and Naveen, DANICS officers, while another UT cadre officer Rajiv Tewari is the third AEO. Initially, there was one AEO who would be from Haryana civil service.

Chief Secretary in Chandigarh: This year, the Centre designated the post of Adviser to Administrator as the Chief Secretary. The Adviser, the senior most IAS officer in the set-up, would report to the Administrator who is the Punjab Governor. The post was redesignated as Chief secretary, though the CS continues to report to the Governor. With this, the Chief secretary will be empowered further under the Lieutenant Governor, if approved.

HM’s frequent visits to Chandigarh: Amit Shah’s frequent visits to Chandigarh for inaugurations and flagging off pilot projects from the UT signalled a larger picture. Implementing three new criminal laws from Chandigarh and inaugurating various smart projects from the city itself indicates the Centre’s interest in the affairs.

Vinod Vashisht, convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations (CFORWO), said, “Chandigarh is a UT without a legislature. What is more important is to bring in more people representative power to the Chandigarh union Territory governance instead of vesting all decision-making in a single person. First, it’s time to introduce five-year term for mayoral elections and enhancing jurisdictional powers of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.”