CHANDIGARH, Oct 7 — The withdrawal of financial powers from officers of the Union Territory administration has brought Chandigarh’s governance machinery to a near halt, with no new tender issued since October 1. Departments have refused to process or clear projects amid uncertainty over which proposals require approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and which can be sanctioned locally.
The freeze follows a directive issued last week by UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, acting on the Centre’s orders, stripping all heads of departments (HoDs), chief engineers, administrative secretaries, and even the chief secretary of their financial sanction powers.
Under the new arrangement, the final approval authority for all plans, administrative expenditures, works, public-private partnership (PPP) projects, and tenders has been shifted entirely to the MHA.
Until now, HoDs could approve projects up to ₹1.5 crore, chief engineers up to ₹3 crore, administrative secretaries up to ₹20 crore, the chief secretary up to ₹50 crore, and the administrator up to ₹100 crore. All these powers now stand revoked.
Since the order took effect, work across multiple departments has stalled. According to data on the administration’s e-tendering portal, the last tender was issued on October 1. Several tenders for development and maintenance works have been opened since, but their allotment remains deferred.
An administrative official described the situation as “complete paralysis.” “No one wants to sign off on new projects without clarity from the MHA. The confusion has effectively frozen all ongoing and planned work,” the official said.
The timing of the freeze has compounded problems, as the festive season typically sees heightened activity in repair, maintenance, and beautification of government buildings. This year, those works stand suspended. Routine upkeep of government offices, institutions, and staff quarters has also been delayed, inconveniencing both employees and the public. “People keep calling us for updates, but we can’t process tenders without approval,” another official noted.
The disruption extends beyond the engineering wing. Departments such as health and social welfare are also feeling the strain. A senior official said tenders for medicine supply to hospitals have been delayed, raising concerns of possible shortages. “If the impasse continues, hospitals may soon run out of essential medicines,” the official warned.
Officials are awaiting detailed instructions from the administration and the MHA to clarify the delegation of powers and restart normal functioning. Without a resolution soon, they cautioned, Chandigarh’s development and public service delivery could face a prolonged slowdown.
