Punjab CM reiterates claim over Chandigarh, Panjab University, river waters

Faridabad, Nov 17 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday reiterated his claim over Chandigarh, Panjab University, river waters, besides advocating genuine federal structure in the country before Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council here.

Flagging the issues, the Chief Minister said the Constitution clearly demarcated areas in which the Union and the states have to function to exercise their respective authority. He said federalism “remains one of the basic pillars of our Constitution, but unfortunately, there has been a trend towards centralisation of authority during the past 75 years”.

CM Mann underlined that the state governments, being at the cutting edge, are in a much better position to understand, address and solve the problems of their people. Pleading for handing over Chandigarh to Punjab, the Chief Minister said after the reorganisation of the state, the Indira Gandhi Agreement of 1970 explicitly stated that “the capital project area of Chandigarh will, as a whole, go to Punjab, which was a clear commitment from the Central government”.

He said the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, signed on July 24, 1985, between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, explicitly reaffirmed that Chandigarh will be transferred to Punjab. However, CM Mann said, despite all promises, Chandigarh was not transferred to Punjab, which has bruised the psyche of every Punjabi.

Raising the issue of maintaining the status quo of the 60:40 ratio in the intake of service personnel from Punjab and Haryana in the functioning of the UT of Chandigarh, the Chief Minister said it is the need of the hour. He said it is a matter of grave concern that officers of the IAS and the PCS have been excluded from key positions in the Chandigarh administration.

CM Mann said posts in departments such as Excise, Education, Finance, and Health are being opened to cadres like the state UT cadre (DANICS), thereby adversely affecting the role of the state of Punjab in the effective functioning of the Chandigarh administration.

The Chief Minister said another linked issue is the posting of Punjab cadre officers to the post of General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) of Punjab. He said that, considering the consistently highest contribution of Punjab towards the Central pool, the established trend of posting of an IAS officer from the Punjab cadre to the Regional Office of the FCI should not be disturbed by the Government of India.

In the wake of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the Chief Minister said there “is a great opportunity for the resolution of water-related issues concerning the states being represented here”. He said there is a possibility of linking the Chenab river to the Ravi and Beas rivers, over which the state already has dams regulating the water flow downstream.

Mann said that in linking the Chenab with rivers of the Ravi and Beas, the surplus water inflow could be utilised gainfully by the downstream states, including Punjab, for both power generation and irrigation purposes, adding that the extra water will also help Punjab to meet its shortfall of water, particularly in border areas.

Raising the issue of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the Chief Minister opposed the proposal to appoint a whole-time Member in the BBMB from Rajasthan, as the board is a body constituted under the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, which concerns only the successor states of Punjab and Haryana.

He said Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are already represented as ex officio members, and creating additional whole-time posts will only increase expenditure, most of which is borne by Punjab without serving any useful purpose.

Mann said that Punjab has already submitted a panel for the appointment of members, and the Government of India should continue with the original arrangement of one Member each from Punjab and Haryana.

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