CHANDIGARH, Oct. 1 -- The Chandigarh administration witnessed a major reshuffle on Tuesday with chief secretary Rajeev Verma being relieved to take charge as chief secretary of the Delhi government. In Chandigarh, home secretary Mandeep Singh Brar has been given the additional responsibility of chief secretary, while the retirement of health secretary Ajay Chagti has paved the way for further changes in departmental allocations. The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) had issued orders appointing Verma as Delhi's chief secretary two days earlier, directing him to assume charge from October 1. On Tuesday morning, Verma attended a programme at Sector 7 Sports Complex and left for Delhi by 3 pm without a formal send-off. Meanwhile, officials and employees visited Ajay Chagti on his last working day to bid him farewell. His retirement leaves several key posts vacant, including health secretary, secretary personnel, housing allotment committee, and CEO of Chandigarh Housing Board. Verma had assumed charge in Chandigarh on February 7, 2024, when the city had no chief secretary's post but an advisor's position. In January 2025, the advisor's post was upgraded to chief secretary. Following the retirement of former advisor Dharam Pal in October 2023, the post remained vacant until Verma's appointment in January this year. With the exit of two UT-cadre officers, speculation is rife that IAS officers on deputation from Punjab and Haryana may now head key departments. For long, there have been concerns that deputed officers were assigned less significant portfolios, while UT officers held important ones. Deliberations on the matter continued late Tuesday at the UT Secretariat. Meanwhile, IAS officers Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar and Rupinderjit Singh Brar, recently promoted from PCS, will continue in Chandigarh, though their promotions have created two vacant PCS posts. Speculation also grew that Anuradha Chagti, secretary, social welfare department, UT, will continue until retirement....