Long-pending policy matters: After SC rap, Chandigarh adviser, MHA joint secy to meet on Aug 8
SC in July had taken a serious note of the Chandigarh administration passing the buck to MHA for delay in policy decisions
Castigated by the Supreme Court over Chandigarh’s long-pending policy matters, the UT adviser and the joint secretary, Union ministry of home affairs, are set to meet on August 8 in an attempt to iron them out.
Issues like approval for conversion of commercial and industrial properties from leasehold to freehold, and rationalisation of misuse and building violation charges will be taken up. Other issues like the approval to the city-specific Tenancy Act, creation of new posts and extension of posts that lapsed during the Covid-19 period are also likely to be discussed.
A senior UT Official said, “The relevant documents have already been submitted with MHA. All issues raised during the SC hearings and other pending issues will be taken up.”
Taking a serious note of the UT administration passing the buck to the MHA on long-pending policy matters, the Supreme Court on July 20 had asked the UT adviser to meet the MHA joint secretary and sort them out within a month.
Both were directed to appear before the apex court on the next date of hearing in the “Estate Office versus Charanjit Kaur” case on August 29 if they fail to resolve the issues.
The bench of justice Hemant Gupta and Vikram Nath had observed, “As per the status report filed, we find that the Chandigarh administration is passing on the burden of certain issues on the MHA. Keeping in view the issues involved, we direct adviser to the Chandigarh administration to meet Ashutosh Agnihotri, joint secretary, MHA, and iron out the issues which can be decided by mutual discussion.”
The apex court’s directions came after the UT submitted its latest action-taken report (ATR) on the recommendations made by the 11-member committee appointed on the court’s directions. The committee was constituted to improve the working of the estate officer and ease property-related woes of Chandigarh residents.
In the ATR, the administration contended that multiple property related matters were pending with MHA.
These include conversion of commercial and industrial properties from leasehold to freehold, and rationalisation of misuse and building violation charges. UT had informed the court that it had sent four reminders to MHA in respect of the property conversion issue, but a decision is still pending.
