Times of Chandigarh
14 September 2009, CHANDIGARH: The move to revive the post of chief commissioner would surely make UT’s top boss accountable to the ministry of home affairs, but it could also kill the initiative-oriented style of administrators. To ensure that political clout does not take over city’s affairs and its voice is heard at the Centre, a section of city residents feel that Chandigarh should have a legislative assembly of its own.
BJP leader and former MP Satya Pal Jain said he had raised this demand sometime back as he felt it would ensure that the final say on any issue is with an elected representative and not the chief commissioner, adviser or administrator.
A legislative assembly for Chandigarh is one of the viable options, besides having a metropolitan council, to take decisions democratically so that the welfare of the city population is kept in mind, he said.
It has been felt that UT should have a state council with powers of controlling the budgetary and financial allocations as the common man has little say in the present system of governance. For instance, not even a single meeting of the administrator’s last advisory council was held with its its entire term of three years. This, even though a host of ambitious projects and contentious proposals were finalized by officials. ...
