E-Paper
Withdrawal of administrative powers from officers: Since October 1, not a single tender issued in Chandigarh
As per information, several tenders for maintenance and development works were opened in the past few days but their allotment was deferred
The withdrawal of financial powers from officers of the UT administration has thrown the entire administrative machinery into a disarray with not a single new tender being issued since October 1. Reason: Officials have refused to move forward with any new projects in the absence of clear directions on what types of projects will require ministry-level approval and which can be cleared locally.
As per information, several tenders for maintenance and development works were opened in the past few days but their allotment was deferred.
Acting on the Centre’s directions, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria had last week issued an order, stripping heads of departments (HoDs), chief engineers, administrative secretaries, and even the chief secretary of their financial approval powers. Under the new system, final sanction for all plans, administrative approvals, expenditures (including works), public-private partnership (PPP) projects, and tenders will rest with the MHA.
Until now, HoDs could approve works up to ₹1.5 crore, chief engineers up to ₹3 crore, administrative secretaries up to ₹20 crore, the chief secretary up to ₹50 crore, and the administrator up to ₹100 crore. All these powers now stand revoked.
Since the order was enforced, operations across multiple departments have come to a halt. According to the administration’s e-tendering portal, the last tender was issued on October 1, and none have been released since. Administrative sources warned that if the situation continues, the pace of development work in Chandigarh could come to a complete stop. Officials are hoping for clear directions from the administration soon to help resume normal functioning.
The timing has worsened the situation, as the festive season usually sees a surge in maintenance, painting, and decoration of government buildings. However, this year, all such works have been suspended. Routine maintenance works in several government quarters, offices, and institutions have also been delayed, causing inconvenience to employees and the public alike. Many residents have been contacting officials for updates, only to be told that tenders cannot be processed due to pending approvals.
The impact is not limited to the engineering department. The health and social welfare departments have also been affected. A senior official revealed that tenders for medicine supply to hospitals have been stalled, creating the risk of stock shortages. “If a solution is not found soon, hospitals may face a serious shortage of essential medicines,” the official said.
