Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday opposed the proposal of the Chandigarh Administration to send back 112 Punjab doctors working on deputation in the Union Territory (Chandigarh) and hire more doctors from other states and UTs.

Addressing a Press conference today, former education minister and party spokesman Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema termed this decision as a conspiracy to dilute the state’s share in Chandigarh Administration and also announced a SAD delegation will meet the Union home minister to take up the issue.

Cheema said he was surprised to see that when Punjab leaders were busy in state Assembly elections, officers of UT Chandigarh hatched this conspiracy to send back 112 Punjab doctors to their parent state and gave in advertisement to hire doctors from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Centre government and other UTs for Chandigarh.

He said that this was a clear violation of the Punjab Reorganisation Act which states that Punjab and Haryana will depute the administration on 60:40 ratio on Chandigarh.

The SAD leader said this was not the first time such a conspiracy has been hatched to end Punjab’s share in the Administration of Chandigarh. He said that earlier two attempts were made by officials posted in Chandigarh by the Centre government but when such proposals were opposed tooth and nail by Akali Dal, they were rolled back but surprisingly no one was punished for hatching such a conspiracy.

Citing examples, the former Punjab minister said in 2018 a proposal was mooted to recruit 468 JBTs (junior basic teachers) for Chandigarh. He said as per the Punjab Reorganisation Act rules and regulations of Punjab are in force in Chandigarh, but officials not only gave exemption in the provision of studying Punjabi as an essential subject till 10th class, but they also allowed tests in English and Hindi only thereby completely ignoring Punjabi.

He said when he raised this issue with the Punjab Government, an amended advertisement was issued by the Chandigarh Administration for the same.

Dr. Cheema said that this was not enough, Chandigarh has recruited more than 80 percent of staff for the education sector on its own whereas rules say that they have to be deputed by Punjab and Haryana in a ratio of 60:40. He said that even for the remaining 20 percent of staff Punjab was not getting its 12 percent share.

The SAD leader said Chandigarh was carved out of the land of Punjab villages and Punjab sacrificed only to get its own Capital. He said that instead of getting its Capital now conspiracies are being hatched to deny Punjab its share of 60 percent staff in Chandigarh.