Amidst a recent development, the UT administration of Chandigarh wrote to the Punjab government seeking an extension of two Punjab cadre IAS officers posted in the city. The officers in concern are Mr. Vijay Namdeorao Zade (2002 batch), the incumbent finance secretary (UT), and Ms. Anindita Mitra, the incumbent commissioner of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.
Mr. Zade has been serving as the finance secretary since May 2021, and his term shall conclude in May 2024. In addition to the finance department, he also administers several other departments like excise and taxation, engineering, housing, labour, estate, statistics, employment, planning, urban planning, treasury & accounts and local fund audit.
Ms. Mitra, on the other hand, was posted on inter-cadre deputation from the Punjab cadre to the AGMUT cadre (Chandigarh segment) in August 2021. She also holds the additional charge of the chief executive officer of Chandigarh Smart City Ltd., and her three-year term was set to conclude in August 2024.
If the government of Punjab gives the nod for their tenure extension, the proposal shall then be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for approval from the Central Government.