UT's control: AGMUT cadre edges out Hry-Pb big time
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Chandigarh: Even as Punjab and Haryana slug it out over river-water share, their capital city, the Union Territory of Chandigarh, is now predominantly manned by the AGMUT cadre IAS officers, edging out both Haryana and Punjab cadre IAS officers.
Traditionally an itchy point in the Centre-state relations in this region, the control over Chandigarh is now surely resting in the hands of the AGMUT cadre IAS officers, who not only have a majority in the UT's administration but also hold the major chunk of key departments under their reign.
At present, there are five AGMUT cadre IAS officers. Three more AGMUT cadre IAS officers were recently transferred to the Chandigarh administration and are likely to join the administration in the near future.
This will take the strength of the AGMUT level officers to eight. In addition to this, there is one Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officer. There are two IAS officers each from Haryana and Punjab.
The edging out of the Haryana and Punjab cadre IAS officers is all the more glaring at the top echelons of the administration, that is, at the 'secretary' level positions. At present, there are five AGMUT cadre IAS officers, including the chief secretary at this level.
In addition, the CSS officer is also assigned secretaryship of a number of departments.
At the secretary level, one officer from the Haryana cadre is the UT home secretary, and one officer from Punjab is the finance secretary. The deputy commissioner, a Haryana cadre IAS officer, has been assigned secretaryship of one department. In the boards and corporations, except for the Chandigarh municipal corporation, which has a Punjab cadre IAS officer as municipal commissioner, all other corporations and boards are now headed by the AGMUT cadre IAS officers.
The top posts in the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) and Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO), traditionally reserved for Punjab cadre IAS officers, are manned by the AGMUT officers. Similarly, originally the post of commissioner, excise and taxation rested with a Haryana cadre IAS officer, but now an AGMUT cadre IAS officer has been assigned the post. The post was taken away from the Haryana cadre IAS officer and assigned to an AGMUT cadre officer in 2024.
Traditionally, it was a Punjab cadre IAS officer who was posted as secretary, excise and taxation officer, but now it is an AGMUT cadre IAS officer.
"In the recent past, a lot of friction was seen between the AGMUT and the Haryana-Punjab cadre officers. In one instance, the tussle between AGMUT cadre officers and a Haryana cadre officer even entered the public space," said a UT official.
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