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

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.

Written by: Hina Rohtaki

3 min readChandigarhNov 24, 2025 10:12 AM IST

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Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (File Photo0

From implementing Central service rules instead of Punjab service rules to giving more powers to AGMUT cadre officers —

the groundwork for bringing Chandigarh under Article 240 has already been going on for the last three years.

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.

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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.

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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.”

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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