MHA puts brakes on Haryana plan for new Vidhan Sabha in UT

To avoid another controversy ahead of the Assembly elections in Punjab, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has put the brakes on the proposal of the Haryana Government to construct a separate Vidhan Sabha building in Chandigarh.

Sources said senior functionaries of Haryana had recently taken up the issue with Home Minister Amit Shah, who categorically told them not to pursue the project further with the Chandigarh Administration.

Early this year, the Chandigarh Administration had rejected the proposal of Haryana to swap land for its new Vidhan Sabha building in the city, citing the absence of any such provision in the UT Master Plan-2031.

The then Haryana Assembly Speaker, Gian Chand Gupta, had in early 2022 demanded the allotment of land for a new Vidhan Sabha building in Chandigarh — the common capital of the two states.

Senior officials had taken up issue with Shah

-- Sources said senior functionaries of Haryana had recently taken up the issue with Home Minister Amit Shah, who categorically told them not to pursue the project further with the Chandigarh Administration

-- Early this year, the UT Administration had rejected the proposal of Haryana to swap land for its new Vidhan Sabha building in the city, citing the absence of any such provision in the UT Master Plan-2031

The UT Administration had offered three sites — near the IT Park, near Kalagram in Manimajra and on the road from the Railway light point to the IT Park — to the Haryana Government. Later, Gupta, along with the then Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, visited the sites and finalised the 10-acre plot located on the road from the Railway light point to the IT Park in June 2022.

In lieu of the 10-acre plot, Haryana had offered 12 acres of land in the Saketri area of Panchkula district to the UT Administration. However, the UT Administration turned down the proposal due to multiple reasons, including planning constraints, accessibility issues and a natural drain that divides the offered land into two. Chandigarh officials had pointed out that the two plots were not comparable in terms of access and urban planning. The main issue with the Saketri site was the natural drain, which not only bifurcated the plot but also restricted construction in its vicinity, the officials said.

In contrast, the 10-acre plot in Chandigarh was a prime location adjacent to a 200-foot-wide road that connected directly to Madhya Marg.

Haryana’s demand for a new Vidhan Sabha arises from the anticipated 2026 delimitation exercise, which is expected to increase the state’s Assembly constituencies from 90 to 126 and the Lok Sabha seats from 10 to 14. The existing Assembly in Chandigarh lacks space for expansion, making a new facility essential.

The decision of the UT Administration to offer a 10-acre plot to the Haryana Government for the construction of a new Vidhan Sabha building came under criticism from various city-based organisations and political leaders from Punjab. They stated that Haryana should explore land available in Panchkula or other parts of the state for its personal need.