July 25, 2013
Even though the governments of Punjab and Haryana have time and again staked claim over the joint capital Chandigarh, the interference of the two governments in the city has often led to problems here. Apart from frequent tussles over the postings of officials, there are certain projects for Chandigarh that are stalled as the consent of the states is required.
The most recent bone of contention is the re-naming of Mullanpur as New Chandigarh. While Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has termed the move of the Punjab government unethical, the latter is adamant on going ahead with the proposal. This is not the first-of-its kind tussle that the two states have had.
The posting of bureaucrats in the city has remained a contentious issue. The posting of bureaucrats in Chandigarh as a norm is done in the 60:40 ratio with 60 per cent officials from Punjab and 40 per cent from Haryana. During the Punjab Assembly session held in March this year, the MLAs had raised the issue that the posts in Chandigarh Administration were being given to UT cadre officers and the Punjab cadre was being sidelined.
The haphazard development that has taken place in Chandigarh's periphery is another instance where the two states despite staking claim on the city have made no effort to check it. In fact, the situation is such that at places the boundaries of the sectors in Chandigarh merge with those developed by these states. There is a lack of clear demarcation. While time and again co-ordination committees have been constituted with officials from Punjab and Haryana along with Chandigarh, the issues raised by the city have mostly been ignored by the states.
|
Home