What the shift means for Punjab and Chandigarh

The feeling in Punjab is that such decisions will gradually weaken state’s claim over Chandigarh which was carved on the state land and for the state as a capital city, so the state government has demanded immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the state, as its capital. The state government says what was the need for the change (in service rules) at this stage as there was no demand from the employees. It apprehends that with increase in the perks and extension in retirement age to 60 years, the state employees might also raise similar demand. Also, state employees who work in Chandigarh on deputation and their counterparts back in the state will face pay disparity. According to a state government official, Union Territory status to Chandigarh is a temporary arrangement and the move will complicate transfer of capital city to Punjab. According to SAD’s Manpreet Singh Ayali, the March 27 announcement is a direct attack on Punjabi language as it is not mandatory under the central service rules to have knowledge of Punjabi. “Against the Punjab and Haryana employees' proportion of 60:40, as per the Punjab reorganisation act, it’s actually is 12:8 now, as rest 80% are the direct recruits in the UT,” he added.

For Chandigarh, while earlier the 16,000-odd UT employees had service conditions similar to those in Punjab, now they have been brought on par with central employees. Over the years, though, some central regulation had already been adopted. Most UT employee unions, particularly teachers and nurses, have welcomed the move, but some have argued against it. The shift in rules does not cover the around 20,000 outsourced and contractual employees, eliciting criticism from them.