NEW DELHI: Bowing to pressure from the ruling Akali Dal in Punjab, the Centre on Thursday declared the governor-designate of Punjab VP Singh Badnore as the administrator of Chandigarh as well.
Until now, Haryana governor Kaptan Singh Solanki had additional charge of Chandigarh.
“The President has been pleased to appoint Shri VP Singh Badnore to be the administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh, in addition to his duties as the governor of Punjab,” a communique issued by Rashtrapati Bhawan said.
The Centre had earlier finalised former IAS officer KJ Alphons as the new administrator for Chandigarh.
The move however, was put on hold on Wednesday after objection from the Shiromani Akali Dal government in Punjab.
Alphons had confirmed the development to HT, saying the Punjab government had raised certain technical issues.
With the appointment of 63-year Alphons, the 32-year practice of the Punjab governor holding the additional charge of the Union Territory would have ended.
Alphons had received a call from Rajnath Singh informing him about the government’s decision to appoint him as administrator of Chandigarh.
{{/usCountry}}Alphons had received a call from Rajnath Singh informing him about the government’s decision to appoint him as administrator of Chandigarh.
{{/usCountry}}Alphons is best known for his demolition drive against illegal encroachments in the capital when he was heading the Delhi Development Authority in the 1990s. He joined the BJP in 2011.