Sanjay Tandon chides MP Manish Tewari for running down Chandigarh, highlights city’s achievements

Senior BJP leader and National Council member Sanjay Tandon strongly countered remarks made by Chandigarh Member of Parliament Manish Tewari during a recent meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council (AAC) held at Hotel MountView. The meeting was chaired by Gulab Chand Kataria, the UT Administrator and Governor of Punjab.

Reacting to Tewari’s observation that more than a decade ago Chandigarh used to be the main city while Mohali and Panchkula were considered suburbs, but that the scenario has now completely changed, Tandon took exception to the MP for portraying Chandigarh in a poor light while ignoring its many achievements.

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“Much has been said about the shortcomings of this city. However, there are many positive aspects that make Chandigarh one of the most loved places to live,” Tandon remarked.

In a pointed response, Tandon asked Tewari whether he would prefer to leave his residence in Sector 4 and shift to Mohali if given the option. “The answer would probably be no,” he said, adding that even when Tewari was elected as MP from Anandpur Sahib, he chose to continue living in Chandigarh—something that itself reflects the quality of life the city offers.

Tandon emphasized that Chandigarh has several achievements that deserve recognition. He pointed out that the city has among the lowest property tax rates in the country, was home to India’s first dedicated cycle track, and boasts one of the highest literacy and education standards. Government schools in the city, he noted, are among the best performing in the country.

Calling for a strategic approach to the city’s development, Tandon said that being a landlocked Union Territory, Chandigarh must focus on emerging as a hub for tourism, sports, education and information technology.

Referring to his tenure overseeing sports initiatives, Tandon said that significant progress was made within a year by studying sports policies from 28 states and incorporating the best practices into Chandigarh’s own policy.

However, he expressed concern that many talented athletes from the city are forced to represent neighbouring states such as Punjab and Haryana due to a lack of job opportunities locally.

Highlighting the success of young cricketer Kashvee Gautam, he stressed the need to provide job security to emerging sports persons so that their talent benefits the city itself.

Tandon also shared that the World Skate Asia team recently visited Chandigarh and decided to host the upcoming Asian Championship in the city—an event expected to bring athletes from 22 countries and place Chandigarh firmly on the international sporting map.

On urban mobility, Tandon underlined the need for long-term planning, stating that a metro system should be considered with a 25-year perspective in mind.

He further suggested that whenever a government scheme is announced, the date of its inauguration should also be declared to ensure accountability and timely implementation.

Tandon also advocated expanding the domicile policy so that children from Chandigarh can apply for government jobs across the entire Union of India rather than being restricted to the Union Territory.