No Bill for now but Centre footprint in running of Chandigarh has been increasing

This meant that all employees would be entitled to Central Service Rules, including a raise in the retirement age from 58 to 60, expansion of child care leave for women employees to two years instead of one, and an improvement in pay scales.

The Central Civil Service Rules had been in place in Chandigarh up to 1991, when these were changed to Punjab Service Rules.

The implementation of Central Service Rules coincided with more and more significant posts in the bureaucratic structure of Chandigarh going to AGMUT cadre officers. For example, the portfolio of Managing Director, CITCO, which was earlier with a Punjab officer, is now with AGMUT’s Hari Kallikkat.

The post of Secretary, Engineering, which was always with the Finance Secretary – a Punjab-cadre IAS officer – is now with AGMUT cadre officer Prerna Puri. Also, the post of Secretary, Social Welfare, which was with Haryana and Punjab cadre officers, is now with Central government officer Anuradha Chagti.

Out of three Sub Divisional Magistrates in Chandigarh, two SDMs are now of UT cadre and one is of Haryana cadre.

The Health Department which was always with Haryana cadre IAS officers earlier has also been with AGMUT cadre post 2022. The temporary charge is now with Home Secretary Mandip Brar.

The Assistant Estate Officers (AEOs) are all UT-cadre officers now, with separate AEOs holding the responsibility. Initially there was one AEO, who would be from the Haryana Civil Service.

Earlier this year, the Centre designated the post of Adviser to the Union Territory’s Administrator as the Chief Secretary. The adviser is the senior-most IAS officer in the set-up and reports to the Administrator who is the Punjab Governor. While now called Chief Secretary, the officer continues to report to the Governor.

In terms of protocol, however, this brings the post at par with chief secretaries of other state governments.

Union Home Amit Shah’s frequent visits to Chandigarh, for inaugurations and for flagging off pilot projects, have also drawn attention. The choice of Chandigarh to kick off the BNS when it replaced the IPC further proved its importance for the BJP.

Vinod Vashisht, Convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations, said: “Chandigarh is a UT without a legislature. What is more important is to bring in more people representing power to the Chandigarh UT governance instead of vesting all decision-making on a single person.”

Vashisht added that their priority was to introduce a five-year term for mayoral elections in Chandigarh, and to enhance the jurisdictional powers of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

Pawan Bansal, a three-time Congress MP from Chandigarh, said even if the Centre appears to have shelved plans to amend Article 240 of the Constitution to include Chandigarh, “the ground was being built”. “If you see, they are already doing a lot of things… like Central Service Rules, bringing more AGMUT cadre people… You don’t know the intention exactly,” he told The Indian Express.

Curated For You

Red Fort blast case: Al Falah founder acquired land in South Delhi by forging documents in names of 5 deceased ex-owners, probe reveals

GDP: New labour codes and opportunity for India’s weakest states

India Q2 GDP Growth Data 2025: India’s Q2 GDP growth beats expectations again, rises 8.2% on manufacturing, financial services uptick