Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Monday lashed out at the reported move of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to merge the DSP cadre of the Chandigarh Police with the police officers of all Union Territories, including the Delhi Police.
Rubbishing the move as “mischievous and provocative”, Sukhbir urged the Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to ensure that no one is allowed to tamper with the status of Chandigarh as the designated capital of Punjab.
Sukhbir, calling upon the Chief Minister to treat the issue of Punjab’s right in this regard as a matter requiring top priority, asked Capt Amarinder to ensure that directives of the then Union Home Minister P Chidambram, on the division of employees between Punjab and Haryana on 60:40 basis till Chandigarh’s actual transfer to Punjab, be fully and honestly implemented by the UT Administration.
However, Sukhbir questioned the Punjab government’s statement on the preservation of the 60:40 apportionment between Punjab and Haryana. “To say that the present status be maintained is wrong because UT has already tampered with the ratio which needs to be undone. UT administration is not following this ratio in appointment of DSPs, teachers or other employees. Therefore, it is not maintenance of but correction in the present status which needs to be emphasized,” he added.
Sukhbir pointed that the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had aggressively pursued the matter with the Centre during his tenure forcing the Union Home Minister to issue a fresh directive on Punjab’s plea.
“SAD would firmly and actively oppose any move to dilute the strictly temporary arrangement of the cadre distribution between Punjab and Haryana on 60:40 basis pending the final and actual transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab…Punjab’s just and repeatedly proven claim on Chandigarh stood nationally acknowledged and accepted,” he said.