Chandigarh: Home ministry’s advisory panel to get overhaul

The home ministry’s advisory committee, the apex institution for direct interface between Chandigarh’s elected representatives and the Union government, is set to get an overhaul.

UT administrator Banwari Lal Purohit on Wednesday approved the draft of the revamped advisory committee. It will now be submitted with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for approval.

“The committee was lying dormant for a long time. I took up the issue with the MHA. It suggested we should rework the composition of the committee to make it more compact,” said UT adviser Dharam Pal.

According to the draft, the major change is the reduction in the number of nominated members. The previous committee constituted in 2016 had 12 members, with eight of them being nominated.

“Now, the suggestion is to have the Member of Parliament, mayor and leader of opposition in the MC House as ex officio members besides two to four nominated members,” said Pal, adding that a smaller committee will allow more regular meetings and streamline its working. Currently, it is considered to be too unwieldy, he said.

The MHA will also decide who will nominate these members – UT administration or Union government. After the MHA nod, the members will be appointed.

At present, the tenure of the nominated members is three years, and they can get extension. Chandigarh is represented by the UT administrator, and in his absence the UT adviser, besides the ex officio and nominated members.

No meeting since 2017

The last meeting of the panel was held in 2017, the first and last meeting of the committee constituted in November 2016.

Earlier, too, the committee’s meetings have been put on the back burner. The meeting in 2017 was held after 12 years. The previous one in 2005 was held after 20 years, said a senior UT official.

The committee addresses general questions of policy relating to the administration and all legislative proposals concerning the territory in regard to matters in the state list besides such matters relating to the annual financial statement of the Union so far as it concerns the UT. Also, all development issues concerning the UT can be put forward before the MHA besides other matters deemed fit by the ministry.