Gandhi asks Centre to cancel notification on Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 28

Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi on Friday said the Centre had diminished the role of Punjab and violated the administrative arrangement wherein Punjab provides 60 per cent of the total strength of employees in Chandigarh.

Gandhi referred to a notification passed by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding acquiring rights for itself to fill the vacant posts in the Chandigarh Administration.

He said, "The notification for the first time places Chandigarh in the same status as other Union Territories". He added, "This violates the earlier administrative arrangement wherein Punjab provides 60 per cent of the employees while the rest is contributed by Haryana."

He said, "This has been done under the guise of creating a service for UTs' police service under Article 309 of the Constitution which pertains to recruitment of officials by governments for various services." He said by doing this the Centre sought to undermine the status of Chandigarh as capital of Punjab and impose a permanent status of UT to Chandigarh. 

He said the Centre should exclude Chandigarh from this notification and start negotiations on unresolved issues of Punjab.