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Battle of resolutions: Haryana, Punjab inter-state disputes come to the fore again
Punjab’s recent move to ask the central government to hand it over the union territory of Chandigarh, and Tuesday’s riposte by Haryana to stall it till inter-state disputes including Ravi-Beas water share between the two states are settled, have rekindled a range of contentious issues plaguing the two neighbouring states for decades
Punjab’s recent move to ask the central government to hand it over the union territory of Chandigarh, and Tuesday’s riposte by Haryana to stall it till inter-state disputes including Ravi-Beas water share between the two states are settled, have rekindled a range of contentious issues plaguing the two neighbouring states for decades.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Punjab government had on April 1 brought a resolution in the state assembly seeking transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. The move was apparently a politically loaded reaction to the BJP-led Centre’s decision to bring in the Union Territory of Chandigarh Employees (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2022 by replacing the Punjab Service Rules for Chandigarh employees.
The Punjab assembly thus recommended to the state government to raise the matter with the central government for immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab.
‘Haryana needed to rebut Punjab’s claims’
Legal experts said once a state assembly passes such a resolution recommending the state government to convey it to the central government, the latter would have to respond sooner or later.
For the BJP-led Haryana government, it was thus an inescapable call to have a special assembly session and pass a resolution to emphatically present the state’s counter point to Punjab’s demand.
“Now, the central government is armed with a piece of paper challenging Punjab’s claim. And the Centre will seemingly look dispassionate and neutral when examining Punjab’s claim on Chandigarh and Haryana’s rebuttal and plea on settling water sharing disputes first,” said a public representative familiar with the state’s line of thought.
Water, land, human resource is Haryana’s call
Primarily, the resolution passed by the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday speaks of non-completion of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal by Punjab despite the 2002 and 2004 directions of the Supreme Court, and seeks Centre’s intervention to prevail upon Punjab to withdraw litigation pertaining to Hansi-Butana canal (HBC) and permit the HBC to carry water to Haryaana’s water-deficient areas, transfer of Hindi-speaking areas falling on Punjab’s land to Haryana and ensuring the percentage of state government officers for serving in the Chandigarh administration is continued in the same proportion as when the reorganisation of Punjab was envisaged.
‘It’s more about political expediency’
Political and legal experts who have deliberated over these contentious inter-state issues over the years say they do not expect tangible outcome for most of the disputes.
“It’s more about political expediency than anything else,” said an analyst.
Probably that’s why first-time Independent MLA Balraj Kundu was able to speak his mind in the House. “ It is just a political agenda to play with the sentiments of people. I want to ask why the political parties conveniently forget these issues when in power and only think of them when in the Opposition. How long can this go on?” Kundu said referring to the politics played over the inter-state disputes including sharing of water.
While his party, the Congress lent outright support to the resolution moved in the assembly by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former Congress MLA Karan Singh Dalal said such resolutions do not bring any positives for the state and is sheer waste of time and money.
“The state government itself admitted that the Haryana assembly on at least seven occasions has passed resolutions urging the early completion of the SYL canal. So, what came out of those resolutions?” Dalal asked.
