Manish Tewari Tables Bill to Extend Chandigarh Mayor’s Term to Five Years
Manish Tewari moves bill for five-year municipal leadership.
Congress MP and former Union Minister Manish Tewari introduced a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha on Friday seeking to extend the tenure of Chandigarh’s Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor from the existing one year to a full five years, aligning their terms with the Municipal Corporation’s own five-year cycle.
The proposed legislation aims to amend the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994, to eliminate the annual leadership churn that has long plagued the Union Territory’s civic body. Tewari contended that the current one-year term severely undermines administrative continuity, derails long-term infrastructure projects, and fosters political instability within one of India’s most meticulously planned cities.
Describing the present system as fundamentally flawed for a modern urban centre, the Anandpur Sahib MP argued that critical initiatives involving waste management, rejuvenation of seasonal rivulets (choes), urban mobility, housing reforms, sewerage upgrades, and environmental restoration demand consistent leadership over multiple years rather than the disruptive musical chairs witnessed annually.
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Key features of the bill include simultaneous five-year terms for all three top municipal offices, revised provisions for handling vacancies, removal procedures, no-confidence motions, and safeguards to ensure ongoing projects and policy frameworks remain undisturbed irrespective of political changes during the corporation’s term, thereby prioritising development over yearly electoral battles.
If enacted, the reform would mark one of the most significant structural changes in Chandigarh’s municipal governance since its inception, bringing it in line with several major Indian cities and international best practices while promising greater accountability, reduced political friction, and accelerated implementation of the city’s ambitious Smart City and master-plan objectives, though passage will require cross-party consensus and possible scrutiny by a parliamentary panel.
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