Declining Status In State’s Representation, Only Two Out Of 18 Officials In Chandigarh

After Haryana came into existence in 1966 following separation from neighbouring Punjab, it was decided that a certain share of IAS, HCS and PCS officials hailing from both states will be appointed in joint capital Chandigarh on deputation.

However, now only few officials (both AIS as well PCS) of Haryana cadre are being appointed in the capital as compared to Punjab. Presently, 18 senior officials are deployed in Chandigarh and among them, only two IAS hail from Haryana cadre while four and eight IAS officials are from Punjab and Mizoram, Goa, UT and Arunachal Pradesh, respectively. Among the officials of AGMUT cadre, senior IAS Dharmpal is advisor to Administer (Governor of Punjab also) while rest are Vinod P Pawle and Yashpal Garg (both 2009 cadre) SS Gill (2009 cadre), Nitika Pawar (2012), Purva Garg (2015 cadre), Rupesh Kumar (2019 cadre and Shishir Gupta (2020).

Hemant Kumar, an expert and a lawyer in Punjab and Haryana High Court, said it is evident from the past that appointing an IAS of Haryana cadre as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chandigarh has been a tradition but the central government has fixed the number of IAS officers 2018 to be deployed in Chandigarh and following the same, the post of DC and Home Secretary has been fixed for the IAS officials hailing from the AGMUT cadre.

Presently, two IAS officers of Haryana – Nitin Yadav (2000 cadre) and Vinay Partap Singh (2011 cadre) – have been given the charge of Home Secretary and DC, respectively.

According to the rules, IAS officials along with HCS and PCS from Haryana and Punjab are being deployed in Chandigarh on deputation for a maximum period of three years and changes in the rules have been observed time by time pertaining to deploying the officials in deputation .

Nitin Yadav who holds the portfolio of DC, Chandigarh, also has the charge of Additional Estate Officer, Present of District Soldier Board, Controller of Civil Defence, Director of Agriculture, Additional Chief Election Officer Chairman if Waqf Board Commissioner of Excise & Taxation Department. While Vinay Partap Singh, the Home Secretary of Chandigarh, is looking after the responsibility of 10 departments namely Prison, Revenue, Law & Justice, Water Resources, Transport, Environment & Forest, Local Administration, along with the Post of Chairman of CITCO.

Earlier several signify departments which were headed by the DC, are being given to the IAS officers of AGMUT cadre for the last few years .

Vijay Namdev Ra Jade has the charge of 13 departments while two other IAS officers of Punjab cadre namely Anandita Mitra and Jasvinder Kaur Sandhu have been assigned the charge of Commissioner of Municipal Corporation and Managing Director of CITCO.