Chandigarh, June 22, 2025 – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday defended its recent move to appoint Punjab’s Chief Secretary as Chairperson of local housing development authorities, amid growing backlash from opposition parties who allege the change strips Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of his executive authority.
AAP Punjab president Aman Arora, who also serves as the Renewable Energy Minister, clarified that the amendment to Section 29(3) of the PRDPT Act is purely administrative and aims to fast-track development projects by minimizing bureaucratic delays.
“The Chief Secretary’s role is only to approve proposals at the initial stage. Final approvals still lie with the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) and the state Cabinet, both of which are headed by CM Bhagwant Mann. His authority remains intact,” Arora asserted.
Opposition Slams Move as Power Grab
The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have launched sharp attacks on the AAP leadership, accusing Arvind Kejriwal of centralizing power and sidelining Punjab’s elected leadership.
Congress MLA Pargat Singh went so far as to call the change “unprecedented,” claiming it was aimed at facilitating land grabbing across Punjab. “Never before in the state’s history has a CM’s power been stripped like this,” he said, further alleging that Mann’s resistance to signing off on controversial land deals prompted Kejriwal to intervene.
SAD leader Daljit Cheema echoed the criticism, calling the Cabinet decision illegal, unconstitutional, and arbitrary. He pointed out that the move violates Section 4(2), Chapter II of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning Act, 1995, which clearly designates the CM as the Board’s chairman.
AAP Ministers Back Reform as ‘Visionary’
In response, top AAP leaders rallied behind the decision, presenting it as a “bold governance reform” designed to decentralize power and improve administrative efficiency.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema described the restructuring as a landmark step:
“This visionary decision reflects our commitment to fast, transparent governance. Delegating operational authority to the Chief Secretary allows for quicker decisions while the CM continues to focus on strategic priorities.”
Education Minister Harjot Bains also criticized SAD’s hypocrisy, stating that the Akali leadership had “no moral authority” to question reforms after years of mismanagement during their tenure.
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Uniform Framework Across Urban Authorities
The Punjab Cabinet has also approved a uniform governance model across all eight urban development authorities, involving Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners as members. The aim is to resolve local issues efficiently at the authority level without unnecessary delays.
Officials stated that the decision was based on a comparative analysis of urban planning models across major Indian cities like Noida, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Kanpur, where urban authorities are typically headed by senior IAS officers or Ministers, not Chief Ministers.
“Routine administrative tasks have been delegated, but the CM retains overarching control through PUDA and the Cabinet,” clarified Cheema.
