List of achievements
The city has seen Union Minister of State for Finance Pawan Kumar Bansal winning for the last two terms. “For all those who say that I complain that ‘officials in the Administration do not listen to me’, all the decisions taken in the last few days are a suitable answer. We have provided relief to GPA holders, got permission for an additional floor in rehabilitation colonies and formulated self-employment opportunities. In fact, for the GPA decision, I made around 30 calls to the officials concerned. The decision was notified in the nick of time, just before the code of conduct came into force,” said local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal.

The city has seen much development in the last five years. “From 2003-04, there has been a 60 per cent increase in the budgetary allocation for the city. The MPLAD funds were spent on education and beautifying the city. Funds came from the Centre for projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Changes have been made in the building byelaws. An international airport is being set up, the railway station will be upgraded to be counted among the most modern in the country.”

Bansal envisions Chandigarh as a mini financial centre in the future. “Employment opportunities will be created in the service sector. The infrastructure will be upgraded to cater to the growing population,” he said.

Controversies
The tussle between UT Administrator General S F Rodrigues (Retd) and Bansal made headlines during the term. The situation came to such a pass that Congress leaders complained of the Administrator’s behaviour to Rahul Gandhi as well as former home minister Shivraj Patil during their visits to the city. In an interview earlier, Bansal had remarked that “good governance has been a casualty in the city”.

The Opposition
BJP candidate for the forthcoming elections Satya Pal Jain reiterates that “the Congress-led UPA government has failed on all fronts”. “No new projects started in the city. Inflation was at an all-time high, no effective security measures were taken, the budget allocation for the city was less than last year and the infighting between the officials and the MP continued unabated. All announcements have been made at the fag end of the term.”