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Chandigarh MC chief engineer Sanjay Arora removed on Kataria’s order; reason not yet known: Mayor

Congress says 'officer was not acting as a puppet in BJP's hands'; BJP defends move

4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Oct 25, 2025 04:22 AM IST

Sanjay Arora, Chief Engineer of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. (Source: File)

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) Chief Engineer Sanjay Arora was removed from the post on Friday evening, following a direction issued by Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.

Mayor and BJP councillor Harpreet Babla confirmed Arora’s removal. “Yes, he has been removed at the direction of the Administrator, but the exact reason is still not known,” she said.

When asked, MC Commissioner Amit Kumar refused to comment on Arora’s removal.

The Chandigarh Congress alleged that Arora was removed from his post as he was “not acting as a puppet in the hands of the BJP”, while the BJP defended the move, saying “all public works have been stuck due to his presence”.

A BJP councillor, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Most of the development works are in a limbo. Not a single project saw the light of day. Look at the condition of roads…see what was done to the tender of the legacy waste and whatnot.” “Moreover, the Administrator was apprised of certain irregularities in tenders,” he said.

The BJP councillor said, “Arora was inaccessible, too. What to talk of meeting, he would not take our calls at all…not even once in past one year I was able to speak with him.”

On October 6, The Indian Express had also reported how Arora was inaccessible to the public.

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Chandigarh Congress chief Harmohinder Singh Lucky alleged, “Arora wasn’t acting as a puppet in the BJP’s hands, so this happened.”

Speaking with The Indian Express, Lucky said the removal of an honest officer from the Municipal Corporation exposed the BJP’s “arbitrary attitude”.

“BJP has once again revealed its malicious intentions and flawed policies by removing an honest officer. BJP wants every honest officer to act as its puppet and support its wrong and arbitrary decisions. The Congress stands firmly with all honest officers. The people of Chandigarh can clearly see how the BJP is treating officers who are trying to improve the collapsing financial condition of the Municipal Corporation,” Lucky said.

Lucky added, “Apparently, the chief engineer might have pinpointed loopholes in the Manimajra land deal case, which wasn’t in the BJP’s favour.”

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Arora had joined the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation as the chief engineer from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in 2024. Before joining the MCD, Arora was a superintending engineer with the Chandigarh civic body’s public health department. Before Arora, the then chief engineer NP Sharma had stayed on a deputation for over 22 years with the Chandigarh civic body.

No fresh appointment to the post was made till the filing of this report, but MC sources indicated that Superintending Engineer Krishan Pal might be given the additional charge.

On October 6, The Indian Express had highlighted how, over a period of eight days, its correspondents tried meeting Arora, posing as common citizens to present a grievance before him about a civic issue, but they could not even catch a glimpse of the officer, even during designated public hours, let alone secure a meeting.

This was despite the administration’s claim that its officials are easily accessible to the public.

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At the level of the chief engineer, who oversees the city’s core infrastructure and services-related matters, the gates remained firmly shut. Even during the notified “public meeting hours,” citizens waiting outside his office were told only one thing by his staff: “Arora is in a meeting.”

From a widow seeking a livelihood to students worried about roads and drainage, their grievances never reached the officer tasked with addressing them. The public meeting hour, meant to bridge the gap between officials and residents, remained a closed door.

Later, when asked whether he was meeting people as per the public hours, Arora stated, “Haanji, bilkul, 12 se 1 milta hoon sabse (Yes, I meet the public from 12 noon to 1 pm).” When told that not one correspondent could access him over several days, he responded: “I can give my PA’s number. They can fix an appointment.” When Arora was reminded that he had not been available to the public since September 24, he said: “I may be caught up somewhere…”

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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