Chandigarh:Once again there is a political spectacle in two neighboring states regarding Chandigarh. There is a dispute going on between Punjab and Haryana over the sharing of river in the joint capital Chandigarh.
Recently, the BJP-led central government has decided that the city employees will get the same salary and benefits as the central employees.
The legislatures of Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Punjab and BJP-ruled Haryana passed separate unanimous resolutions this month to stake their legitimate claim on Chandigarh, the union territory of the five-decade-old political struggle over the capital.
Interestingly, in both the states, both the BJP and the Congress have demanded the transfer of Chandigarh, popularly known as City Beautiful, to the state.
Haryana has been insisting that Chandigarh can be given to Punjab only if Punjab agrees to give its Hindi-speaking Fazilka-Abohar region to Haryana as compensation.
In addition, Haryana seeks constitutionally established authority over Punjab to share the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers with the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
Chandigarh’s Capital Complex buildings include the Secretariat Complex, the Legislative Assembly Complex and the High Court Complex, which are shared by both Punjab and Haryana.
An assembly resolution adopted by the Haryana Legislative Assembly led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 5 April read, “Haryana’s right to share the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers by the construction of the SYL canal has taken a historical, legal, judicial and constitutional form over time.” installed from. The august House has unanimously passed a resolution on at least seven occasions urging the completion of the SYL Canal at the earliest.
Four days before this motion, Leader of the House in Punjab and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann moved a motion urging the Center to give Chandigarh to Punjab.
The House urged the central government to respect the principles of the Constitution and not take any step that would damage the administration of Chandigarh and other common properties like the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
Officials told IANS that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is appointing an independent administrator for Chandigarh, which will end the 37-year-old system of Punjab governor.
Let us tell you that in 2016, the BJP-led NDA government in Kerala BJP leader and former bureaucrat K.J. Alphons was appointed as the Administrator of the Union Territory. The then Punjab Congress President Captain Amarinder Singh termed it as unjust with the aim of snatching Chandigarh from Punjab and a deliberate attempt to undermine Punjab’s claim on Chandigarh.
The then Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had said in his statement that Punjab would not compromise on its legitimate right over the capital and other Punjabi speaking areas.
The passing of the fresh resolution in the Punjab Assembly is not the first such resolution. Earlier, six resolutions were passed in the assembly.
The first dates back to May 18, 1967, and was a non-official resolution moved by Acharya Prithvi Singh Azad, who sought the inclusion of Chandigarh in Punjab.
On 23 December 2014, a non-official proposal to shift Chandigarh and other Punjabi speaking areas to Punjab was also introduced.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Chandigarh on 27 March on Punjab’s claim on Chandigarh. During this, he announced that the Center would notify the Central Service Rules for the employees in the Union Territory instead of the Punjab Service Rules.
The Center had earlier changed the rules for appointments in BBMB. Under which recruitments can be done from anywhere in India instead of Punjab and Haryana.
In 2004, the Congress government in Punjab canceled water sharing agreements with neighboring states and refused to give any water to other states, especially Haryana.
The SYL canal was planned and a major part of it was completed in the 1990s at a cost of over Rs 750 crore. It is still embroiled in a political war. Punjab and Haryana are not ready to give up their stand on canal issue and sharing of river water.
Responding to the AAP-led Punjab government’s resolution on Chandigarh, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda told IANS, “The Punjab Assembly’s resolution has no meaning. This is the strategy of the government. The Punjab government is trying to divert the attention of its people from the real challenges before them.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked his leaders not to take any step till all the problems related to the Punjab Reorganization Act are resolved.
He appealed to the Center to pressurize Punjab to withdraw its case and allow water to be supplied to vulnerable areas of Haryana through the Hansi Butana Canal.
