After 7-year gap, Chandigarh administrator to resume public hearings from July 16

Before each public interaction, the administrator will hold a meeting with senior UT officers from 9.30 am to 10 am to review the action taken on issues raised in previous hearings

After a gap of seven years, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has decided to resume public hearings, which will now be held every Wednesday from 10 am to 12.30 pm at the UT Secretariat, Sector 9, Chandigarh. The meetings will be conducted by prior appointment only.

UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria (HT File)

Before each public interaction, the administrator will hold a meeting with senior UT officers from 9.30 am to 10 am to review the action taken on issues raised in previous hearings.

Citizens wishing to meet the administrator can send their representations via email at “admr-chd@nic.in”. Alternatively, physical representations can be submitted at: Office of the Under Secretary, Punjab Raj Bhavan, Sector 6; and Chandigarh Office of the Under Secretary, Home Department, UT Secretariat, Sector 9.

The tradition of public hearings was first initiated in 2007 by former UT administrator General SF Rodrigues, who conducted them twice a week. His successor, Shivraj V Patil, continued the practice, with the last public darbar held in 2014 before his term ended in January 2015.

In 2018, former administrator VP Singh Badnore attempted to revive the format through an “Open House”, but the initiative could not continue due to the Covid-19 pandemic.