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Immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab: Bhagwant Mann to Centre
Chandigarh City was created as the capital of Punjab and whenever a state has been divided, the capital remained with the parent state, the resolution moved by the Punjab Assembly read.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday moved an official resolution in the Punjab assembly on the immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab adhering to the sentiments of the people and maintaining harmony. Whenever a state has been divided earlier, the Capital remained with the parent state, the resolution said.
"For maintaining harmony and taking the sentiments of people into account, this house once again recommends to the state government to raise the matter with central government to immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab," read the resolution.
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"Chandigarh City was created as the capital of Punjab," it said, adding, “In all past precedents, whenever, a state has been divided, the capital remains with the parent state. Punjab, therefore, has been laying its claim for complete transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab,” it said.
Chandigarh became the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana after Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966 comprising the Hindi-speaking areas.
The resolution also requested the Centre to honour the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and not to take any steps which may disturb the balance in the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets like BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board). The one-day special session has been convened by the Punjab government on this issue.
On Sunday, Union home minister Amit Shah announced that the service conditions of the employees of the Chandigarh administration will now be matched to that of the Central Civil Services. While the home ministry said this will bring several benefits to Chandigarh UT employees, AAP, Congress and SAD leaders are seeing it as a big blow to the rights of Punjab.
The Centre had earlier changed rules for the selection criteria of BBMB members. The BBMB, which is a statutory body under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and manages the water resources of Sutlej and Beas, has a whole-time chairman and two members—member (irrigation) and member (power). According to the convention, the member (power) is always from Punjab and member (irrigation) is from Haryana are selected from a panel of senior engineers. But the changes in the rules for selection criteria allowed anyone to apply for these posts.
