E-Paper
Additional assembly land: Chandigarh admn tells Haryana to give another chunk of land or pay ₹620 crore
The 12 acres offered by Haryana for the land exchange fall in eco-sensitive zone where construction is prohibited by the Supreme Court
Amid environmental concerns around the previously selected 12-acre land in Panchkula’s Saketri, the UT administration has now asked the Haryana government to either provide an alternative chunk of land or pay ₹620 crore in exchange for 10 acres near IT Park road in Chandigarh, where it is planning to build an additional assembly building.
UT shared the land’s price tag during a meeting with Haryana officers last week.
In August, the UT administration had conveyed to the Haryana government that it will not proceed further with the exchange of land unless an environmental clearance is obtained for the land in Saketri village, as it falls in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
Following this, the Haryana government had written to the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to de-notify the 12 acres. A response is awaited.
“Construction cannot take place in ESZ. So, we have told Haryana to give us another chunk of land for the land exchange or pay ₹620 crore for the 10 acres near IT Park road. They have sought time for a response,” said a UT officer.
As per officials familiar with the matter, Haryana is also looking for another chunk of land bordering Chandigarh as per the suitability of the local administration if the ESZ issue is not sorted out.
As per Supreme Court directives, permanent structures cannot be constructed within an ESZ for any purpose. Moreover, no commercial construction is allowed within a 0.5 km radius outside the ESZ.
The land exchange is taking place in response to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s demand for the state’s rights within the existing Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh, particularly in light of the projected increase in the number of assembly seats after the 2026 delimitation exercise. The announcement for the allocation of land to Haryana was made by Union home minister Amit Shah on July 9, 2022, during the 30th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Jaipur.
The decision to allot Chandigarh land to Haryana, which was carved out of Punjab in 1966, for the additional assembly complex carries huge political symbolism.
Punjab has been opposing Haryana’s demand for the additional land as Chandigarh is the joint capital of the two states. Any concession to Haryana in Chandigarh is perceived in Punjab as a weakening of the border state’s influence over the Union territory.
