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Our Take: Should Chandigarh have an exclusive administrator?
There has been growing feeling, both in the bureaucracy and political class of Chandigarh, that the UT would be better off with an exclusive administrator to pave the way for hands-on governance
With VP Singh Badnore set to complete his five-year tenure on the gubernatorial post later this month, speculation is rife that the Centre could divest the next Punjab governor of the charge of UT administrator and appoint a separate executive head for Chandigarh. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has spoken against any such purported move, bringing the spotlight back on whether the existing system should continue or Chandigarh should revert to the chief commissioner system.
Until 1984, the UT was helmed by a chief commissioner at the top of the bureaucratic hierarchy in the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. But, turmoil of the 1980s in the border state led to a new system in which Punjab governor was also designated as the administrator of Chandigarh.
The dual charge, introduced at the beginning of a five-year-long President’s rule in Punjab, was necessitated by law and order exigencies of coordination between Punjab, Chandigarh and the Union government. However, what was a stop-gap system of governance has continued even two decades after peace returned to Punjab.
Over the time, Chandigarh has evolved as a vibrant city with high-level of civic aspirations. Classified as a smart city, the UT has however been suffering from governance deficit that is attributed, in major part, to the duality of Punjab Raj Bhawan also steering the UT’s complex and challenging issues. The extra powers to Punjab governor in affairs of a shared capital has also led to heartburn for Haryana.
There has been growing feeling, both in the bureaucracy and political class of Chandigarh, that the city would be better off with an exclusive administrator at the top to deal with complex and challenging issues that the UT faces. That, in effect, means return to the chief commissioner system which, many believe, was much more effective with direct powers in the affairs of administration.
The redesignation of the adviser as chief commissioner and more power to elected municipal corporation may pave the way for a hands-on governance that Chandigarh direly needs to realise its potential as a world-class city and live up to its residents’ high expectations.
What is your opinion?
Should Chandigarh revert to the chief commissioner system or is the existing system working fine? Send your comments to chandigarh@hindustantimes.com by August 13 to feature on the Readers’ Take page of HT Chandigarh.
