Chief secy acts swiftly on MHA-flagged issues

Prasad will hold daily review meetings until October 21, with two departments presenting updates each day

On his first day in office, newly appointed chief secretary H. Rajesh Prasad began reviewing key administrative issues flagged by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), seeking department-wise reports within 24 hours.

Newly appointed chief secretary H. Rajesh Prasad (HT File)

The five major issues included share-wise property sale and apartmentalisation, ownership rights for rehabilitation colony residents, Lal Dora limit extension and village-related matters, need-based changes in Chandigarh Housing Board units, and disputes in group housing and cooperative societies.

These topics had been raised in Parliament by MP Manish Tewari earlier this year, prompting the MHA to demand updates from the UT administration last month.

Prasad will hold daily review meetings until October 21, with two departments presenting updates each day. On Thursday, lengthy discussions on the five MHA-flagged issues delayed the transport department’s presentation, which will now be rescheduled.

Officials briefed the chief secretary on ongoing legal cases and ground-level actions. The administration had previously submitted mostly negative responses to the MHA’s queries, despite political pressure for reform.