Punjab Assembly on Friday passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of the Union Territory Chandigarh, which also serves as the state’s joint capital with Haryana, to Punjab.
Barring two-members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who opposed the resolution, all other Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) belonging to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and one independent legislator supported the resolution during the one-day special session amid a political row sparked by Union home minister Amit Shah’s announcement that Central service rules will apply to the employees of Chandigarh
The BJP MLAs had walked out of the House when this resolution was unanimously passed through voice vote.
Moving the resolution in the House, Mann asked the Centre to honour the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and not to take any steps that may disturb the balance of the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets “Punjab was reorganised through the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 wherein, the state of Punjab was reorganised into the state of Haryana, Union Territory of Chandigarh and some parts of Punjab were given to the then Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh,” the resolution said.
Since then a balance was maintained 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 has been trying to upset this balance,” it said.
The Central government has advertised the posts of members of BBMB to officers of all states and central government, whereas these posts were traditionally filled up by officers from Punjab and Haryana. Similarly, the Chandigarh administration has always been managed by officers of Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40, the resolution said.
“However, recently, the central government has posted officers from outside to Chandigarh and has introduced central civil service rules for employees of Chandigarh administration, which goes completely against the understanding in the past,” it said.
“This House also requests the central government to honour the principles of federalism enshrined in our Constitution and not to take any steps which may disturb the balance the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets like BBMB,” the resolution said.
“Today a resolution was passed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly against the repressive policies of the Center. For the rights of Punjab on Chandigarh, voice will be raised at every level. Injustice will not be tolerated with Punjab, the land of warriors who put their chest first to take a bullet for the country,” the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a tweet later.
Speaking in the Assembly in favor of the resolution which comes days after the Union home minister Amit Shah announced the decision to give employees of the Chandigarh Union Territory administration the same benefits as Central government employees by replacing Punjab service rules with Central services rules from 1 April, Mann said he would seek time from President of India, Prime Minister and Home Minister to take up the issue.
He accused the Centre of adopting repressive policies against Punjab. He said in the recent past decisions taken regarding the Union Territory Chandigarh, Bhakra Beas Management Board and Panjab University are against Punjab.
Quoting example of Delhi and West Bengal, Mann said the Union government is targeting states where the Bharatiya Janata Party is not ruling.
Even since the Union government announced the decision to implement the Central services rules in Chandigarh, Punjab’s political parties excluding BJP have termed it as another step to dilute the state’s claim on Chandigarh.