Punjab prevails, Chandigarh’s charge stays with Governor

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18

In a U-turn after its move to devise a new administrative setup for Chandigarh led to an uproar, the Central Government has decided not to go ahead with the appointment of an independent Administrator for the Union Territory.

The proposal to appoint Kerala’s bureaucrat-turned-politician KJ Alphons Kannanthanam as the first independent Administrator for Chandigarh had not gone down well with BJP’s ally Shiromani Akali Dal. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had yesterday taken up the matter at the highest level at the Centre to get the appointment stalled.

Editorial: Row over administrator

In a bid not to strain relations between the coalition partners ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls, the Narendra Modi Government has agreed to continue with the arrangement of the Punjab Governor also holding charge as the UT Administrator, a practice in place since 1984.

A separate order, under Article 239(2), assigning additional charge of UT Administrator to Punjab Governor-designate Vijyendrapal Singh Badnore was issued today. 

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Hectic preparations have already begun at the sprawling Punjab Raj Bhavan for Badnore’s swearing-in ceremony on Monday afternoon. Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar will administer the oath of office and secrecy.

Meanwhile, Kannanthanam told The Tribune over phone from Kerala that Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi conveyed to him this morning that he was not being appointed the UT Administrator. “It (appointment) is not happening,” Kannanthanam said.