Punjab House calls for Chandigarh’s transfer

The Punjab assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution for the immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab amid an ongoing tussle between the Centre and the state over control of the Union Territory, which serves as the capital of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana.

The resolution was passed by a voice vote in the absence of two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, who had earlier opposed the resolution and staged a walkout. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rules Punjab and has an overwhelming majority in the assembly.

The move comes days after Union home minister Amit Shah announced that Central service rules will be applicable to employees of Chandigarh, instead of the Punjab service rules, sparking protests from AAP and the Punjab government.

In his notice for the resolution, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that under the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966, the state of Punjab was reorganised into the state of Haryana, the Union Territory of Chandigarh and some parts of Punjab were given to the then Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh.

“Since then, a balance was mentioned in the administration of common assets like Bhakra Beas Management Board by way of giving management positions in some proportion to the nominees of state of Punjab and state of Haryana. Through many of its recent actions, the central government is trying to upset this balance,” he said.

The CM further pointed out that the Centre advertised the posts of members of Bhakra Beas Management Board, which were traditionally filled by officers from Punjab and Haryana, to officers of all states and the central government.

“Similarly, Chandigarh administration has always been managed by the officers of Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40. However, recently, central government has posted outside officers to Chandigarh and introduced Central Civil Service Rules for the employees of Chandigarh administration, which goes completely against the understanding in the past,” he said in the notice. While members of AAP, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party supported the resolution, BJP member Ashwini Sharma opposed it.