The Haryana Assembly on Tuesday moved a motion demanding Chandigarh, less than a week after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sent a proposal for a similar line, escalating tensions between the two neighboring states over the Union Territory.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had moved the resolution in the state assembly urging the Center not to take any action until all concerns regarding the Punjab Reconstruction Act were resolved.
The House also called on the central government to take steps for the construction of the Sutlej-Jamuna Link Canal in compliance with the Supreme Court order.
“The House notes with concern that the Punjab Legislative Assembly has recommended that the matter of relocating Chandigarh from Punjab to Punjab be taken up with the Central Government on April 1, 2022,” Khattar said during the special session. Haryana Assembly.
Reading the resolution, Khattar said, “The Haryana Legislative Assembly has passed the resolution at least seven times, calling for the speedy completion of the SYL canal. A number of agreements, treaties, tribunal findings and court rulings have single-handedly upheld Haryana’s water claim and directed the completion of SYL. “
Referring to what he called Punjab’s mistake, Khattar said, “The Indira Gandhi Accord, the Rajiv Longowal Accord and the Venkataramaiah Commission have accepted Haryana’s demands in Hindi-speaking areas falling within the territory of Punjab.
Khattar further noted that Haryana’s right to share water of Ravi and Beas rivers by constructing SYL canal has been established historically, legally, judicially and constitutionally over time.
The recent amendments to the Bhakra Beas Management Board rules by the central government to appoint full-time members go against the spirit of the Punjab Restructuring Act, which treats river projects as common assets of the successor states of Punjab.
“The House has noted with concern that the share of Haryana officers in deputations in the Chandigarh administration has been declining for several years,” the official resolution said.
Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Haryana could accept Punjab as a big brother but not as a big brother. Punjab’s move to hand over Chandigarh will only ruin relations between the two states.
Mann said in a one-day assembly session in Punjab last week, “The city of Chandigarh was created as the capital of Punjab. In all instances of the past, whenever a state was divided, the capital remained with the original state. Punjab, therefore, has been demanding complete handover of Chandigarh to Punjab. In the past, the House has passed several resolutions requesting the central government to relocate Chandigarh to Punjab. In order to maintain harmony and take into account the sentiments of the people, the House has again recommended to the state government to take up the matter with the Central Government for immediate relocation of Chandigarh to Punjab. ”
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