MC post goes to Punjab cadre

Following this, the Administration will now request the two state governments to send their panels for the post. The present Municipal Commissioner in Chandigarh is Satish Gathwal, an IAS officer of 1981 batch, while the post of the CEO has been lying vacant for some time.

The official reason given for the cadre change is that the Union Government was facing a shortage of senior scale UT officers and hence took this decision. However, it may be mentioned here that the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, had been pursuing the case with the Union Government that the Municipal Commissioner here must be a Punjab cadre officer.

It is learnt that he had taken up the matter earlier with former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral. It is being discussed in some quarters that his persistent efforts with the present government led to the decision on the change of cadre.

While UT officials assert that it may be months before a new Municipal Commissioner takes over, it is being speculated that the change may come about sooner. Sources highlight that Gathwal has almost completed his tenure and his transfer was being expected.

Meanwhile, there has been some reshuffle among the Punjab Civil Services officers in the Administration. Amar Pal, who had recently taken over as Chief General Manager CGM of Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation and had been given additional charge of Secretary, Chandigarh Housing Board CHB, is back as Secretary of the Municipal Corporation.

D. S. Mangat has been relieved of charge of Secretary, MC. However, he retains other charges of Director Public Instruction both colleges and schools and Under Secretary, Education. M. L. Sharma has been asked to join as CGM, CITCO-cum-Secretary, CHB.