Vijay Dev, an IAS officer of 1987-batch AGMUT cadre, joined as the new Adviser to the Union Territory of Chandigarh Administrator on Wednesday.
Before coming to the city, Vijay Dev was posted as the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). The 51-year-old senior bureaucrat had earlier also served as the Secretary of Election Department in Delhi.During a formal interaction with reporters after taking charge as UT adviser, Dev said he considered it was a privilege to work for the people of Chandigarh. “Here in Chandigarh, improving the quality of life of the general public will be my foremost goal, by providing better services of education, health, safety and environment,” he said.
Within hours of assuming office, he summoned all the senior officials of UT Health Department and had a meeting over the bird flu scare in the city. “The conditions have been under control due to the quick decisions by the UT Health Department,” Dev said. He also said that the UT Health Department is taking help of experts from Punjab and Haryana Health Departments. If required, Chandigarh will also seek help from the experts of other States.
He told media persons that development of infrastructure would be an important priority for him. “There would be continuity in the implementation of policies and programmes and change of guards at the Adviser level would not cause any abrupt change,” he said.He also hinted at the need to improve the road transport system and traffic management in the city.
“There was a discussion on introducing Metro, on the Delhi pattern in Chandigarh. Metro is a good project to provide a smooth traffic flow for the city residents and action will be taken on priority basis,” said Dev. Answering to a question on the cold war between Punjab and Haryana cadre officials in Chandigarh Administration and police department, he said an official should be a part of Chandigarh when he is working in this city.