Chandigarh was made a Union Territory in 1966 at the time of partition of Punjab. Earlier, Chandigarh was a part of Kharar tehsil and the Shah Commission, on whose recommendation the division of areas was done, had recommended the entire Kharar tehsil to be given to Haryana. However, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave Kharar tehsil to Punjab but Chandigarh along with 23 villages was made a Union Territory, directly under the administration of the central government.
Till 1984, the UT of Chandigarh had the chief commissioner at the top of the administrative structure. In 1984 the then Congress government abolished the post of chief commissioner and appointed the governor of Punjab as an ex officio administrator of Chandigarh, and the system is continuing till date. The post of chief commissioner was redesignated as adviser to the administrator.
In 55 years, Chandigarh has seen two patterns of administration, one led by the chief commissioner for about 18 years, and one led by the administrator for about 34 years.
No continuity or accountability
Both the systems have their own positive and negative aspects. To my mind, the question is not who is to rule Chandigarh; but how Chandigarh should be ruled. Unfortunately, under both the set-ups, power is vested with officers to take decisions regarding Chandigarh. The officers keep on shifting and hence there is neither any continuity nor any accountability at the top. This was the position under both the systems.
The urgent need of the hour is to ensure public participation, both political and non-political as well as elected and non-elected representatives in the decision-making process. On issues concerning Chandigarh the final say in decision-making should be that of public representatives and not officers alone, like in other states.
{{/usCountry}}The urgent need of the hour is to ensure public participation, both political and non-political as well as elected and non-elected representatives in the decision-making process. On issues concerning Chandigarh the final say in decision-making should be that of public representatives and not officers alone, like in other states.
{{/usCountry}}The Municipal Corporation Chandigarh which was constituted for the first time in 1996 has completed 25 years of existence. There is a need to review the working of the MC and move further towards either mayor in council or metropolitan council with more powers to public representatives.
Chandigarh has a large number of people both, retired and working, who have vast experience in public life and civic management. Their services should also be used in decision-making.
Effective coordination in tricity
The tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula has grown to such an extent that you don’t even come to know to when you have entered Punjab or Haryana. But if there is even an innocuous move of changing any administrative structure of these three units, there will be a hue and cry by politicians.
Problems such as transport, population and residence, concerning the three can be solved by effective coordination among the authorities. There is an urgent need for making the Interstate Development Council, consisting of representatives from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, more effective for the overall development of the tricity.
The only difference between the two systems is that earlier it was the chief commissioner (now redesignated as adviser to the administrator) who was at the top of the bureaucratic structure. In the new system, it is the Punjab governor who is at the helm. The other structure remains the same. Therefore, in my view instead of debating on which of the two systems is best for Chandigarh, all concerned should join hands and rising above narrow political consideration strive to evolve a system for the city in which the major say in the decision-making is that of the people instead of bureaucrats, who keep on moving to and from Chandigarh.
The territorial dispute between Punjab and Haryana has already caused immense harm to the interest of the region. Let this issue not become a bone of contention between these two states. The time has come when any decision about the administrative set-up in Chandigarh is taken by consensus by involving representatives of Punjab and Haryana also so that in an attempt to solve one problem, we may not create more.
(The writer is additional solicitor general at Punjab and Haryana high court and former BJP MP from Chandigarh. Views expressed are personal)