When Purohit forced Chandigarh bureaucrats to roll back their decisions

The administrator, Banwari Lal Purohit, has been forcing the MC and admn to retract some of their ill-founded decisions

Banwarilal Purohit’s interventions have compelled chandigarh officers to retract their own choices, sometimes in under 48 hours. (Express Photo)

The year that is on its way out saw the UT administration taking decisions only to quickly roll them back following outrage and scrutiny by the citizenry as well as UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit. From altering councilors’ travel plans funded by taxpayers to reversing the reinstatement of deemed ‘corrupt’ officials, Purohit’s interventions have compelled UT officers to retract their own choices, sometimes in under 48 hours..

Let’s take a look-

Tainted officials reinstated, Purohit acts

Last month, UT Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra passed an order reinstating two officials caught red-handed accepting bribes from the CBI.

The order sparked widespread public outrage and political discontent.

Administrator Banwarilal Purohit reportedly directed the order’s retraction. Within a mere 48 hours of the order becoming public, Chandigarh Commissioner Anindita Mitra had no choice but to rescind the reinstatement
orders.

When the administrator junked MC travel plans

Purohit stepped in when the Chandigarh civic body decided to embark on a study tour to Goa, ostensibly to study waste management. There was widespread criticism among the residents regarding the use of taxpayers’ funds for this junket to a city that did not feature prominently in Swachh surveys. Purohit altered the Goa and Mumbai destinations, replacing them with Indore and Nagpur, emphasizing the importance of visiting progressive cities.

This move disrupted the plans of the municipal corporation prompting BJP and Congress councillors to not only abandon the revised itinerary, which included an extended stay in Goa and a visit to Mumbai, but also led to several individuals withdrawing from the trip.

Withdrawal of cap on fuel vehicles

The administrator, Purohit, also reversed what was once hailed as adviser Dharam Pal’s initiative. He ordered the complete removal of the cap on fuel-based vehicle registrations, expressing concerns about public harassment and perceived coercion for people to purchase EVs. Purohit went further to reprimand officials, questioning how they could compel individuals to invest in expensive EVs.

Double parking charges for non-Tricity residents

The Chandigarh administrator expressed displeasure when the Municipal Corporation opted to impose higher parking fees on vehicles lacking a Tricity registration number plate. After much outrage by residents of both Panchkula and Mohali, Purohit emphasized that the UT MC’s move was unjust, stating that differential parking rates between Chandigarh vehicles and those from other cities/states were unacceptable. Addressing the matter during the administrator’s advisory council meeting, he directed the civic body to promptly retract this decision, urging for its immediate correction.

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When officials were ready to float tenders, Purohit held Sector 53 housing scheme

While the officials revived a Sector 53 general housing scheme and evenreadied a brochure and floated tenders worth crores, Purohit ordered that the scheme be put on hold. He asserted that there was no requirement of the scheme at present. He had said that the land is precious and could be saved for future generations. As a result, the officers then cancelled the Rs 200-crore tenders floated on August 2 for construction of 340 flats on nine acres.

No more air travel/luxury stay in Delhi

Purohit banned the air travel and luxury stay of officers going from Chandigarh to Delhi. The administrator while specifying that “officers should lead a simple life” ordered that they will travel only by Shatabdi.

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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