A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that the central service rules will apply to the employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh led to a controversy in Punjab, the state government has said that the move goes against the Punjab Reorganization Act. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Punjab will fight strongly for its “rightful” claim over Chandigarh.
"Central Govt has been stepwise imposing officers and personnel from other states and services in the Chandigarh administration. This goes against the letter and spirit of Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966. Punjab will fight strongly for its rightful claim over Chandigarh," Mann said in a tweet.
The Union Territory employees are currently working under the Punjab service rules. According to Shah, the move will benefit them in a "big way", as their retirement age will increase from 58 to 60 years, and women employees will get childcare leave of two years instead of the current one year.
However, Shah's remarks have drawn sharp reactions from the AAP, Congress and SAD leaders.
State finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Centre was adopting a “dictatorial attitude” towards the state. Punjab would never allow the Central government’s plans to end its participation in the Chandigarh administration, he added.
“If they do not refrain from this, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Punjab government will fight from road to Parliament,” the minister further said.
Cheema also alleged that the Narendra Modi government has been implementing decisions for a long time to abolish Punjab’s share in Punjab University, BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Committee) and the Chandigarh administration.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, a former ally of the BJP, also opposed Shah's statements, saying the Centre was trying to usurp the rights of Punjab over Chandigarh.
"The Centre's decision on extending central civil service rules to Chandigarh employees was not only a violation of the Punjab Reorganisation Act but also that of the Rajiv Gandhi-Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal accord and several subsequent commissions, all of which have held that Punjab has a majority share in Chandigarh administration and that the status of the Union territory was ad-hoc pending transfer to Punjab,” said senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra.
The party also requested the chief minister to call an all-party meeting over the issue.
With PTI inputs
