Bias against Punjab, Haryana a capital issue

The Central leadership had divided Punjab with the aim of divide and rule and with an eye on vote bank politics. Major issues, including the one related to state capital, that was made a bureaucratic capital under their control, kept lingering so that the brother states keep fighting. A lobby supported by the Central leadership has stalled the development of the UT, Punjab and major parts of Haryana and also denied industrial packages like in other states, because they don't want to see any development in both the states beyond agriculture. As a result, the UT and the two states failed to create jobs for their youth despite the rising GDP. Discrimination by the Centre and unemployment pushed the youth to resort to various agitations and social evils which have taken a toll of lives, property and social harmony in both the states.

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Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd)

Both Centre, states to blame

No doubt Punjab and Haryana had been receiving step-motherly treatment from the Centre. The fault also lies with the states which do not decide the common issues with consensus well in time, thereby causing a delay in execution of the projects and deriving benefits at the earliest. For example, naming the new airport also courted controversy. In such a situation, it gives the Centre an opportunity to settle the issue in a casual manner to derive political mileage out of it, which may not be acceptable to the two states. Such matters ultimately land in the court for a decision, causing escalation and a further delay in funneling the benefits.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

Break shackles of colonial governance

Post-Independence, many Indian states were reorganised on linguistic basis. But in case of Punjab, a lot of struggle and sacrifice had to be made by the Punjabis. Thus in 1966, a pocket-size Punjab came into being with Haryana and the hill state of Himachal Pradesh coming into existence. The new states so carved were given their own capital cities, high court, proportionate assets and well demarcated boundaries. Discriminating against Punjab, its capital Chandigarh and the High Court was made a joint venture of the two states, leaving the boundary dispute unsettled. Even after five decades, step-motherly treatment is being meted out to Punjab. In the fitness of things, when there is a BJP-led government at the Centre and in Haryana with its trusted ally SAD in power in Punjab, it’s time to break the shackles of colonial governance and award dignified democratic status to both, with their own capital cities, high courts and resolved boundary issues.

SS Arora, Mohali

Agrarian states should be accorded priority

It is unfortunate that Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh could not find its proper rank in the list of preferred states of the Central government in spite of their leading position as contributors of foodgrain towards the Central pool. Being agrarian states, these should be treated on priority basis and need assistance to strengthen their basic infrastructure like roads, health, education and modern transport system. No major industrial projects have been allotted to these states despite the availability of skilled manpower. Pending railway projects for the region and  modernisation of railway stations should be accomplished without much delay. International and national destinations should be connected with the upgraded international airports of Chandigarh and Amritsar by roping in more airlines.

Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali

International airport a political compulsion

Is the airport ready to operate international flights? Is it viable? As per reports in newspapers, it is not. I think it was a political compulsion to construct an international airport in this area. We have one in Amritsar but we are not able to utilise it fully. I think this is the prime reason for the indifference of the Centre. It may be termed as step-motherly treatment. Moreover, only one MP from Chandigarh makes no difference for the government.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

Set up industry, channelise energy

It is disheartening that international flights are being delayed at the newly-built airport. Both the states and their capital have plenty of possibilities for growth and a bright future. There is no dearth of capable and educated people. We need to create opportunities and channelise their energy. More industry is required to be established in the region. The Union and state governments should formulate their plans towards a common goal as “Prosperous People, Prosperous India".

Kamalpreet Kaur, Mohali

Airport should get a boost

No doubt there has been a considerable delay in bringing the Chandigarh international airport on the global map. It has been nine months since the airport was inaugurated by our Prime Minister. It has all the facilities like two aerobridges, baggage conveyors, 48 check-in counters, pre-paid taxi counters and parking facilities. The non-operation is causing a huge loss to public exchequer, business and industries around Chandigarh. Let there be a trial run from Chandigarh to Dubai and Bangkok or any other destination where there is visa on arrival facility. Gradually, other international flights may be resumed.

Nikita Kapur, Chandigarh

Admn unable to gauge local sentiments

Since its formation, Chandigarh has acquired a unique status in the eyes of residents, tourists visiting the city and successive governments at the state level and Centre. The city and its residents have been able to retain this unique identity over the years. The administrators are thrust upon the city. They are outsiders and not local residents. These outsiders decide on their own without understanding the public sentiment. This has happened in the case of international airport also.

Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh

Not among preferred states

It is really unfortunate that the states of Punjab and Haryana were not 

included in the category of “preferred states" despite the fact that both these states are developed. The only drawback is that both states do not have their independent capitals. It seems that the issue of Chandigarh between Punjab and Haryana has not been taken up on priority by any government at the Centre. This indicates that the two states received a step-motherly treatment from successive governments.  I am of the view that these two states and its capital being treated as colonies is not fair.

HBS Batra, Mohali

Pb, Hry lose projects due to border problems

Being border states, Punjab and Haryana have suffered a lot during the partition. The step-motherly treatment meted out to these states by the Centre has caused a great loss by not making them preferred states. Considering these states as colonies when both these food producing areas are virtually the food bowl of India is nothing but shameful. This is because of the lackadaisical attitude of the politicians ruling the two states and the country till date.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

Capital issue not taken seriously

Almost 50 years have passed but the issue of deciding on Chandigarh as the capital of Punjab and Haryana has not been resolved by any of the Central Government. Moreover, the two state governments were not serious in resolving the issue. Many other states have been formed by bifurcation but almost every state so formed has its own capital. But Punjab and Haryana are still receiving step-motherly treatment from the Centre, following which the two states have not been included in the list of preferred states.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

Discrimination not a sound excuse

To my mind, the idea that Punjab and Haryana were being subjected to step-motherly treatment by successive governments at the Centre, is unfounded. It is only a matter of time before international flights will start taking off from Chandigarh. The dilly-dallying may be due to lack of coordination with the Ministry of Defence or the Airport Authority of India. The local MP should take the onus and solve the dilemma through the Airport Authority and the Centre. The beginning of international flights would give new industries and tourism a boost in the region.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

Make airport fully functional

The construction of a new building in the name of an international airport by allocating a huge budget has no meaning until made functional. The people had high hopes when it was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. It is surprising that we are a country where law is considered to be supreme but being ignored does not evoke strong sentiments. Even in Haryana, the ruling party at the Centre has its own government and Punjab is governed by their alliance. It could be presumed that they may be keeping an eye on the coming assembly election in Punjab. Whatever be the stand, it must be cleared.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

City treated as 'colony'

It is really sad that Chandigarh, known as City Beautiful the world over, is being treated as a 'colony, just because it is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana which are the real 'colonies'.  The successive governments at the Centre and even the state governments concerned have been ignoring Chandigarh's development as the most modern city in India with sprawling gardens, wide roads, systematically constructed houses and an underground sewerage system. Even the Chandigarh international airport has not been made operational on some flimsy ground or the other. Chandigarh is already a 'smart city in the making'. And as such, it should be spared from being called a 'colony'.

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

Chandigarh not discriminated against

The fast-paced integrated development of our own City Beautiful - Chandigarh - and its neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana can be attributed to the liberal attitude of the respective governments at the Centre. The people can vouch for the fact that at no point of time these have been prejudiced against their interests. These may have received a short shrift for a while but not a single instance can be cited where these have been subjected to any discrimination on the part of the government in the saddle. And when it came to extending financial aid in ordinary and exceptional situations, the union territory of Chandigarh and its neighbouring states have received way more than the other states. The dispensations at the Centre could be anything but not discriminatory and step-motherly in their tone and treatment in protecting their interests.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

Diaspora rush will shift to Chandigarh from Delhi

Though it should have been the other way round as UT gets enough funds, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana are meted step-motherly treatment these days. One does not know what the Central government is up to. The states of Punjab and Haryana are deliberately ignored by the present Central government. The Chandigarh airport has become a milestone. Had the Centre been sincere, full-fledged international flights would have become operational. People of this area feel cheated as they have to travel to Delhi to board international flights. I think the Centre is insecure about starting international flights from Chandigarh as the Indian diaspora is from this belt will attract all rush that normally goes to the international airport in Delhi. Never has such tamasha, as in the case of Chandigarh international airport, taken place in the past.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

Victims of neglect

Punjab and Haryana have failed in political calculation. Most often, governments in states were of parties in opposition. We are too immature to set right political contradictions. Moreover, these already prosperous states have not been much focus of development, hence the charge of being sidetracked and given a step-motherly treatment by the Centre. Punjab, Haryana and their Chandigarh, certainly remain the victims of neglect.

MPS Chadha, Mohali

Punjab, Haryana deserve preferred-state status

The non-inclusion of Punjab and Haryana in the category of "preferred states" is shocking. Punjab and Haryana, being major agricultural states, deserve inclusion in the category of 'preferred' states. Moreover, most air traffic from the IGI airport in New Delhi is from these two neighbouring states. The observations by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard while hearing on making the international airport in Chandigarh fully functional speaks volumes about the neglect by successive Central Governments.

Ranjit Kumar, Panchkula

Comment
HC assertion brings ‘sufferings’ to fore again
Nitin Jain

PUNJAB and Haryana were apparently not included in the category of 'preferred states'. Rather, the two states and their capital were treated as 'colonies'. The step-motherly treatment was not evident just in the airport case.

These were the scathing remarks made by a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing recently on the case pertaining to making the Chandigarh international airport fully functional.

With such categorical assertion coming from none other than senior judicial officers, the "sufferings" of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana at the hands of the successive governments at the Centre have come to fore again and assumed added significance.

Ever since Haryana was carved out of Punjab as a separate entity of federal India on November 1, 1966, the two states have been sparring and slanging over many issues. These include the joint capital of Chandigarh, inclusion of the Punjabi-speaking areas in Punjab, sharing of river waters, separate high courts and control over the Chandigarh Administration. Not only this, the two neighbouring states, fighting over the issue of having a separate SGPC for Haryana, have now failed to reach a consensus on naming the new international airport, a joint venture which happens to be located in the Punjab territory. What's more, Punjab and Haryana have been fighting a pitched battle to protect their 60:40 shares in the UT Administration posts. Ironically, successive governments at the Centre have cared a damn to resolve once and for all these nagging "inter-state" issues, which have been hanging fire since long.

The High Court also quoted examples of other matters pending before it, including a case on disaffiliation of the five specialised master's courses in dental surgery in Chandigarh. "Everywhere, the states of Punjab and Haryana are treated as colonies," the judicial bench had opined.

Now, when it comes to the international airport, the Centre's "step-motherly" treatment has become evident again. A whopping Rs 1,400 crore of public money has been spent and 320 villagers dislocated to create what the High Court rightly termed as "showcase without flights". Even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the international airport last September, international flights are yet to take off from here; the only exception being the landing of French President Francois Hollande's special French Air Force aircraft in January. The airport authorities quickly appropriated it to making the international airport "operational" little knowing that this act of theirs will invite the wrath of the High Court.