Chandigarh capital of two states, part of none: Punjab

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, October 30

Three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked Punjab and Haryana to come out with some document to show that Chandigarh was capital of the two states, the Punjab government has claimed that the city enjoyed the independent status of a union territory (UT). It said Chandigarh is capital of two states, but is neither part of Punjab nor Haryana.

“It needs to be reiterated that Chandigarh has an independent status of a UT. It is neither part of the state of Punjab nor Haryana but is a UT governed by the Administrator appointed by the President under Article 239 of the Constitution,” the state submitted.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, the submissions were made by the Punjab government through a status report filed by Punjab Undersecretary (Home and Justice) Vijay Singh Chauhan. The Bench was also told the UT did not have a separate cadre of judicial services and incumbents from the states of Punjab and Haryana were posted in Chandigarh by the High Court. The Bench of Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain and Justice Suvir Sehgal has now fixed the case for November 6.

The query by the Bench on Chandigarh’s status came during the hearing of a petition filed by an advocate seeking reservation in the two states by the virtue of him being a city resident. As the case came up for hearing before the Bench in July, the issue of Chandigarh being the capital of the two states cropped up as a person declared an SC candidate in one state is not necessarily considered the same in another state.

The case, as such, was being dubbed as “unique” as the petitioner was seeking reservation in both states for recruitment in the superior judiciary on the basis of his being an SC candidate in Chandigarh, which in turn was the capital of the two states.