Chandigarh, Dec. 6 -- Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari on Friday introduced a Private Member's Bill in the Lok Sabha proposing to extend the tenure of the mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) from the current one year to five years. The Bill seeks amendments to the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act and related provisions to bring the tenure of the three top municipal posts at par with the five-year term of the municipal corporation itself. The tenure of mayor had been fixed at one year when the MC was officially formed on May 24, 1994, by extending the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994. Since the formation of the MC, the city has witnessed over 30 mayors. The primary aim of the Bill is to provide administrative stability, strengthen urban governance, and ensure long-term planning for Chandigarh. Under the existing system, the mayor and both deputy mayors serve only a 12-month term, leadership changes every year, major development projects face discontinuity, vision and administrative direction shift frequently, political instability and annual contestation hamper governance. The proposed five-year tenure aligns Chandigarh with governance models of several major Indian municipal corporations and international urban local bodies. While introducing the Bill, MP Tewari argued that Chandigarh is a modern, fast-growing urban centre where key projects - particularly in infrastructure, waste management, choe rejuvenation, mobility, housing reforms, and environmental restoration - require multi-year continuity. He said, "A one-year mayoral term is far too short for a city of Chandigarh's scale. Annual leadership change disrupts execution and accountability. A five-year term will provide the stability needed to implement long-term development strategies." In the past, a committee formed by the Cabinet Secretariat in 2018 had recommended five-year tenure for the Mayors of all UTs. It was formed under the chairmanship of the Secretary (Coordination Cabinet Secretariat) having all chief secretaries of UTs as its members. The UT Administration too had been considering enhancing the tenure of the Chandigarh Mayor from one year to five years. The offices of the Local Government Department and the Deputy Commissioner are working on the proposal and examining the models of other cities. As a Private Member's Bill, it will require government backing, support across party lines in Parliament, possible examination by a Parliamentary standing committee....