Punjab and Haryana are suddenly at war with their capital Chandigarh. The Haryana government on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution, citing concerns over the recent resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly demanding union territory.
Like Punjab, Haryana, the ruling and opposition parties have come together to support the proposal. Khattar has expressed concern over the sudden move by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government to demand a joint capital. He further said that before making such a proposal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should have taken all the stakeholders into confidence in this regard.
This is not the first time Punjab has claimed Chandigarh. Such resolutions have been passed at least seven times in the past, mostly by Akali Dal-led governments. However, a recent move by the Home Ministry to announce central service rules for UT employees has once again fueled Punjab’s anger over its declining share in the UT administration.
Why is Punjab demanding again?
Shortly after Union Home Minister Amit Shah made the announcement, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann immediately stepped down to pass a resolution, urging the Center to shift Chandigarh to Punjab. Earlier, UT employees were governed by the Punjab State Service Rules. Shah’s announcement led to a political conflict, when he said changes to the service rules would benefit UT administration employees “in a big way”.
What is the latest Haryana resolution?
Khattar said the resolution was discussed for three hours. Haryana Chief Minister Sutlej highlighted the construction of Jamuna Link canal and relocation of Hindi-speaking areas to the state. He also raised the issue of posting of Haryana officials in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Chandigarh UT. When SYL raised the canal issue, Khattar urged the center to take steps for its construction. The resolution reads, “This House notes with concern that the resolution passed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly on April 1, 2022, recommends that the issue of relocation of Chandigarh to Punjab be taken up with the Central Government.” This is not acceptable to the people of Haryana. Haryana retains its rights in the capital Chandigarh. “
What is the latest Punjab resolution?
Passed on April 1, the resolution passed by the Punjab Legislative Assembly seeks immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the state. According to the resolution, Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966 and whenever any state has been divided in the past, the capital will remain close to the original state.
The resolution said, “So, Punjab is demanding its complete transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab.” “In order to maintain harmony and take into account the sentiments of the people, the House again recommends raising the issue with the state government. The central government will immediately relocate Chandigarh to Punjab,” it said. During the deliberations for the resolution, the legislators raised the issue of three repealed farm laws and the appointment of members to the BBMB. They also discussed the distribution of river water.
In his speech, Mann emphasized the need for “indifferent and honest motherly” treatment of Punjab. “I want to give a guarantee to the people of Punjab that we will fight hard and defend the rights of the state, be it in the Legislative Assembly or Parliament. On any other platform,” he said.
Formation of UT administration
In the wake of Shah’s announcement, it is important to consider the structure of the Chandigarh administration. Since the reorganization of the joint capital and the two states, it has always been run by officers from Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40. The resolution claims that a balance has been struck in the administration of general resources like BBMB.
Why Chandigarh was created?
Originally, Chandigarh was planned to replace Lahore which was the capital of Punjab before partition. During partition, Lahore became part of Pakistan. Therefore, in consultation with the Center, the then state government of Punjab in March 1948 approved the area at the foot of Shivalik as a site for a new capital. The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted an organized city that would symbolize the progress of a free India. , It wants to be a model for the rest of the world. Thus, the concept of Chandigarh was developed in consultation with the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. Construction began in the early 1950s, and most of it was completed in the early 1960s. Before Haryana was formed in 1966, Chandigarh had been the capital of Punjab since 1952.
How did it become a shared capital?
When Punjab was reorganized in 1966 and Haryana was carved out of it, both the states claimed UT. The city had the unique distinction of being the capital of both Punjab and Haryana, even declaring it as a Union Territory and placed it under the direct control of the Center. The property of Chandigarh will be divided in favor of Punjab in the ratio of 60:40.
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