QUESTION for previous week: Will a longer tenure for Mayor fix UT’s civic failures or does city need deeper, systemic reforms?
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QUESTION for next week
Is the Tribune Chowk flyover a traffic lifeline for Chandigarh or a threat to its green soul?
Suggestions in not more than 150 words with mug shots can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com by Thursday (May 21).
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Address civic issues on priority basis
Extending the Mayor’s term in Chandigarh is not a magic bullet. While leadership continuity is vital for progress, time without accountability is a hollow fix. The city’s evolution depends on seamless inter-departmental synergy and a zero-tolerance policy for administrative delays. True progress lies in addressing the “bread and butter” of the civic life — traffic congestion, sanitation and parking — through honest leadership and swift decision-making.
Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh
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A case for a fixed multi-year tenure
This brief window creates a cycle of stalled progress. Each incumbent focuses on their own “pet projects”, only for them to be abandoned when the next term begins. A 12-month tenure makes it far too easy to cite “lack of time” as an excuse for failing to address chronic issues. Extending the term to three or five years — similar to the models in Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mumbai — would provide the continuity and political stability needed to make the tough, long-term decisions our city requires.
Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh
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Direct polls and Puducherry model
Replacing the short mayoral tenure with a direct election for a full term would eliminate the “bidding” culture that currently plagues Chandigarh. Ending decades of indecisiveness and fragmented control is essential. The city’s potential remains plateaued to the detriment of its residents and institutions. A governance model similar to Puducherry’s would best suit Chandigarh.
Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula
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Fix system, not calendar
A shorter tenure isn’t the deal breaker, and a longer one isn’t the cure. The problem isn’t the Mayor’s calendar. It’s the city’s operating system. Chandigarh’s roads, sanitation, water and lighting fail not because of a one-year or five-year term, but because the machinery is built to pass files rather than pass audits. Accountability here is a year-end formality, not a real-time reality. Tenure extension is a distraction because the status quo remains the same. Mayors rotate, but the inertia remains. A robust system thrives regardless of who sits in the chair. A broken system will fail even if you give the same Mayor a decade.
Capt Amar Jeet Kumar (retd), Kharar
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Not less than three years
The one year tenure for the Mayor of the UT with so many villages in its jurisdiction is too short. The appropriate period would be three years, no less no more.
NPS Sohal, Chandigarh
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Give power to people, not councillors
The current system of councillors electing a Mayor for a one-year term has reduced the office to a mere ornamental post, often fuelled by annual horse-trading. To ensure efficiency and independence from political bargaining, the Mayor should be directly elected by the people.
KC Rana, Chandigarh
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Continuity requires accountability
While extending the Mayor’s term may provide continuity, lasting progress requires more substantive reform. A longer tenure must be paired with a robust administrative framework where roles are clearly defined and accountability is non-negotiable. The city needs a system driven by strict deadlines for improvements to sanitation, roads, water and parking.
Yogesh Gaur, Chandigarh
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Prioritise growth over political ideology
One year term of Mayor in Chandigarh is not sufficient to plan and execute the required development. The term may be extended to five years so that the Mayor can fulfil his promises made to the public. But the development of the city works can only be done subject to the availability of funds, political ideology and wishes of the Mayor. There is also a need to prioritise the required works at the time of Mayor’s installation and the timeliness to complete these works.
Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali
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City requires structural change
While extending the Mayor’s tenure in Chandigarh could enhance policy continuity and accountability, leadership stability alone is not a panacea. Frequent turnovers often stall critical decisions . However, the city’s civic failures are primarily rooted in structural flaws — the fragmented control between the Municipal Corporation, the UT Administration and the Central Government. To truly preserve Chandigarh’s urban character, the city requires systemic reforms.
Lakhwinder Bhullar, Chandigarh
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City needs more leadership stability
Frequent leadership turnover often disrupts long-term planning and stalls decision-making. While an extended tenure allows a Mayor to prioritise critical issues, stability alone is not a panacea for Chandigarh’s civic challenges. Addressing these failures requires systemic reforms, including better inter-agency coordination, enhanced transparency and robust citizen participation. To achieve its goals, the UT must balance leadership stability with deep structural accountability.
Anushka Rana, Chandigarh
Fiscal autonomy trumps tenure reform
Chandigarh’s civic paralysis stems not from brief terms, but from a fractured governance structure that no calendar reform can bridge. Currently, the Mayor occupies a largely ceremonial office. True administrative and financial muscle resides with the UT Administration, leaving the Municipal Corporation chronically underfunded and operationally hamstrung. A Mayor serving five years under these constraints will be just as ineffective as one serving one.
Vrinda Garg, Chandigarh
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More power, not just more time
While extending the Mayor’s tenure in Chandigarh may improve administrative continuity, it is not a cure-all for the city’s escalating civic failures. The core problem is a fragmented governance model where the Municipal Corporation, the UT Administration and various central agencies operate in silos. A longer tenure may allow a Mayor to oversee projects with greater consistency, but without financial autonomy and defined executive powers, the role remains largely symbolic.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
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Financial autonomy key to civic success
Chandigarh’s mayoral term of just one year is a bottleneck for progress — too short to design, let alone deliver, meaningful urban projects. The core issue is systemic. The Municipal Corporation remains financially tethered to the UT Administration, stripped of the autonomy required to act. Without independent funding and clear authority, even a five-year term would result in stagnation.
Dr Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh
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Break chains of bureaucratic delay
Chandigarh has ans immense economic potential. However, bureaucratic rigidity, a lack of accountability and procedural delays have stifled progress and deterred investment. Transitioning to a directly elected Mayor with a fixed five-year term and substantive executive powers would instil greater accountability and focused leadership. By granting the Mayor authority over project approvals, the UT can ensure accelerated development.
Col Balbir Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh
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Fiscal, legal powers needed, not just tenure
Extending the Mayor’s tenure to five years is a vital step toward accountability, finally ending the “blame game” where failures are pawned off on predecessors. However, tenure is only half the battle. To fix Chandigarh’s civic machinery, time must be supplemented by teeth — both legal and financial. Currently, the Municipal Corporation is hamstrung by low fiscal autonomy and a fractured relationship with the UT Administration.
Punam Agarwal, Chandigarh
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Align mayoral terms with infra timelines
Extending the tenure of the Mayor is essential for ensuring that the civic amenities promised in his/her party manifestos are fully realised. Currently, short terms often result in a cycle of planning and forecasting with little progress on the ground. Large-scale infrastructure projects require multi-year timelines that exceed a brief mandate. By lengthening the mayoral term, we can eliminate common excuses for unfinished work and ensure accountability.
Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali
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Rethinking length of local governance
Extending the Mayor’s tenure is a double-edged sword for the city. While it can provide the stability needed to see major projects through to fruition, a five-year term also carries risks. On one hand, longer governance prevents the disruption of frequent turnovers and on the other, it may reduce accountability and increase the risk of corruption. To balance these concerns, the Mayor’s tenure could be extended annually based on performance-driven public reviews.
Charu Malhotra, Mohali
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Time alone won’t fix UT’s issues
While extending the Chandigarh Mayor’s tenure may foster continuity, stability alone is not a panacea for the city’s civic woes. Chronic issues stem from deep-rooted administrative and coordination failures. The city’s governance is currently fractured across multiple authorities. To drive meaningful change, a Mayor requires more time. They need institutional power, transparent budgeting and seamless inter-agency cooperation. Without structural evolution, a longer term may simply prolong existing inefficiencies.
Shruti Shukla, Chandigarh University
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Direct mayoral polls can no longer wait
Reforming the electoral system is now a priority. To ensure democratic accountability and long-term policy planning, Mayors should be directly elected for a fixed five-year term. Furthermore, Mayors must be granted the fiscal authority to reduce reliance on Central Government grants.
Sucha Singh Sagar, Punjab
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UT grappling with challenges
Chandigarh is grappling with escalating challenges, including severe traffic congestion, commuting pressure from satellite cities and unplanned commercial expansion. The Municipal Corporation lacks full autonomy, with significant power remaining with the UT Administration. Extending the mayoral tenure could enhance stability and accountability, but ultimately, the resolution of civic issues remains dependent on the leadership of the individual in office.
Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar
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What matters is results, not tenure
The debate over extending the Mayor’s tenure in Chandigarh ultimately hinges on public expectations. Residents are less concerned with the length of a term than they are with visible improvements in sanitation, traffic, infrastructure and waste management. If leaders deliver real change, they will naturally earn the public’s mandate. While a longer tenure could provide the stability needed for long-term projects, short terms are not the sole cause of Chandigarh’s civic stagnation.
Gorvi Rawat, Chandigarh
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UT needs vision, not permanent leadership
Extending the Mayor’s tenure could provide the stability needed to complete stalled projects and enhance accountability. However, extended tenure alone is no solution for Chandigarh’s chronic issues. Solving these requires deep systemic reform which include — improved transparency, better synergy between the Municipal Corporation and the UT Administration. Ultimately, Chandigarh must prioritise efficient fund management and long-term urban planning.
Karman Sandhu, Chandigarh
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It’s time to give Mayor real power
While a Municipal Corporation serves a five-year term, the Mayor is indirectly elected by councillors for only one year. This brief tenure undermines the office. One year is simply insufficient to master the complexities of the role. Consequently, Mayors often struggle to initiate new development projects or see existing ones through to completion. To ensure stability and progress, the Mayor’s term should be aligned with the Corporation’s five-year mandate. Furthermore, the Mayor requires expanded financial and administrative powers.
SK Khosla, Chandigarh
