Making it clear that the “backdoor control” of Chandigarh would not be tolerated, the SAD on Wednesday strongly condemned the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ notification, issued a day before, divesting Punjab of its rights in Chandigarh.
The party said that it was “in gross violation of letter and spirit of the Punjab Reorganization Act (Section 84, 1966) which assured that employees of Chandigarh Administration would be on deputation from Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60 and 40 per cent respectively”.
In a hard hitting official communiqué, party spokesman and senior vice-president Daljeet Singh Cheema urged the Union Government to rescind the contentious notification which further dilute Punjab Government’s share in its own capital.
Cheema said that the party would soon consult legal luminaries to protect the state’s interests but also approach and convince the Union Government that Chandigarh should not be treated at par with other union territories like Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadeep, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
“Under the new dispensation, a composite cadre of various union territories is constituted wherein 50 percent posts at entry level would be filed through
direct recruitment while remaining half by promotion from the existing officers working in Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Island etc,” argued Cheema saying that it would give a lethal blow to the interests of Punjab.
Unlike other UTs, Chandigarh has a special status wherein Government of India, in its initial notification four days after reorganization of the state on November 1966, stated that all posts except those of PGIMER would be filled up by deputation mainly from Punjab and Haryana.
Subsequently, Punjab Governor SS Ray in his DO letter to Home Secretary on July 18, 1988, had clearly spelled that “Chandigarh is not like other union territories and its administrative posts be filled drawing officers Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40”.
Akali leader argued that with the present notification, the Chandigarh police would be swamped by promotees from other UTs totally oblivious of the history and culture of the City Beautiful which is contiguous and integral part of Punjab.
And progressively, Punjab share in the Chandigarh police administration would vanish, he said.