Chief Commissioner to govern Chandigarh

The Union Home Ministry has decided to do away with the system of the Punjab Governor governing Chandigarh as UT Administrator from November 16,the day Rodrigues’s tenure ends.

“We have decided that after the Punjab Governor’s tenure ends,Chandigarh shall no longer be governed by the Punjab Governor. Instead,there will be a Chief Commissioner,” Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said.

As to who would be the Chief Commissioner,Pillai said,“It is too early to say anything on this. We are yet to decide. There shall be various aspects which would be looked into.”

With restoration of the Chief Commissioner’s post,the post of UT Adviser is likely to get defunct. Also,the Secretary to the Punjab Governor,Punjab-cadre IAS officer M P Singh,is likely to be repatriated to his parent cadre.

With Rodrigues’s moving out,there is a likelihood of UT Advisor Pradip Mehra being transferred out of Chandigarh. Under the present system,Advisor to the Administrator is the senior-most bureaucrat among the IAS officers appointed in Chandigarh.

The new Chief Commissioner will be at least a secretary rank official. Since the 1976-batch of IAS officers has been empanelled for secretary-ship,it is being contemplated that the new Chief Commissioner will be a 1974-76 batch IAS officer.

Mehra,a 1976-batch officer,has not been empanelled for secretary-ship so far.

A Chief Commissioner governed Chandigarh from 1966 till the mid-1980s. During the peak-terrorism days in Punjab,the Governor was given the dual charge of UT Administrator for better coordination between Punjab and Chandigarh. But even after terrorism was weeded out in the mid-1990s,the system continued.

Senior bureaucrats reportedly hold the tussle between Rodrigues and Mehra as a major factor behind restoration of the Chief Commissioner’s post.

While the governments of Punjab and Haryana are set to oppose the move,the Union Home Ministry appears firm on its decision.

Chandigarh will continue to house the capitals of both Punjab and Haryana,and the recent move will not prejudice the claim of Punjab as envisaged under the Re-organisation of States Act,1966.