Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that his decision will benefit employees, as the retirement age will be raised from 58 to 60 years, and women workers will get two-year leave for childcare
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has warned of protests from the “streets to parliament” against Amit Shah’s move. PTI
It’s been close to two weeks since Aam Aadmi Party’s Bhagwant Mann took oath as the new chief minister of Punjab, and he is already at loggerheads with the Centre. What has upset Mann is Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement that from 28 March, central service rules will apply to employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Threatening protests from the “streets to parliament” against Shah’s move, Mann has said, “Punjab will fight for its claim over Chandigarh.”
“Central Govt has been stepwise imposing officers and personnel from other states and services in Chandigarh administration. This goes against the letter and spirit of Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966. Punjab will fight strongly for its rightful claim over Chandigarh…,” the chief minister wrote on Twitter?
What does Amit Shah’s move mean for Punjab? Why has it left Mann upset? And what’s the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966? We take a look.
Amit Shah’s announcement
Shah visited Punjab on Sunday for the first time after the state Assembly election results. Making the announcement, he said, “The long-pending demand has now been fulfilled by PM Modi. I want to give a good news to employees of the Chandigarh administration. From today, service conditions of employees of the Chandigarh administration will now be aligned to that of the central civil services. You (employees) are going to benefit in a big way.”
Employees in Chandigarh currently work under Punjab service rules. With the switch to central rules, the retirement age of employees in the Union territory increases from 58 to 60 years. Women employees will now get childcare leave of two years instead of one.
The demand to implement central service rules in Chandigarh has been pending for over two decades.
What other parties have to say
The Congress and the Akali Dal are echoing AAP’s views.
Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira criticised Centre’s “dictatorial decision” and said it was a move “to usurp the rights of Punjab over Chandigarh”.
In a series of tweets, Khaira said that Chandigarh belonged to Punjab and the unilateral decision was not only a direct attack on federalism, but also an attack on the state’s share of 60 per cent control over the Union Territory. “We strongly condemn the dictatorial decision of BJP to usurp upon the rights of Punjab over control of Chandigarh,” he added.
Asking the chief minister to take up the issue, he tweeted, “I urge @BhagwantMann to break his stoic silence over the gross discriminatory decision of Bjp Govt to unilaterally impose central rules on employees of Chandigarh.”
Akali Dal’s Daljit Singh Cheema registered his protest on Twitter. “MOH’s (Ministry of Home Affairs) decision to impose central government rules on employees of Chandigarh is in violation of the spirit of the Punjab Reorg (Reorganisation) Act and must be reconsidered,” he wrote.
What is the Reorganisation Act?
Leaders in the state see the BJP’s move as an infringement on the rights of the state and a violation of the Reorganisation Act.
In 1966, Punjab was split into Punjab and Haryana, with some territory going to Himachal Pradesh. Both states had claimed Chandigarh as their capital. Pending a resolution, the Centre declared Chandigarh a Union territory. As per the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, Chandigarh was to be governed by the Centre but laws in force in undivided Punjab were to be applicable to the UT, according to report in The Indian Express.
With BJP’s decision, the claim over Chandigarh is once again in the spotlight.
The timing of BJP’s move
Amit Shah’s announcement is seen as the BJP’s attempt to win over voters in Chandigarh ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In the state Assembly election, the BJP suffered a big loss, winning only two seats. Similarly, in the municipal elections held in Chandigarh in December, the party was routed by the AAP, which grabbed 14 seats from it. Of the 35 seats in the Chandigarh civic body, BJP bagged 12, down from its previous tally of 20 seats.
So with two dismal performances, the party is doing all it can to woo those in the Union Territory, considered a BJP stronghold.
Other moves by the Centre
Recently the Centre diluted the state’s role in the Bhakra Beas Management Board, which regulates supply of water and power to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. The Centre had revised the rules for appointment of member (power) and member (irrigation), who were from Punjab and Haryana respectively and said that they can now be picked from anywhere in the country.
In 2018, after pressure from political parties, the Centre put on hold its notification of merging posts of deputy superintendent of police in Chandigarh with the DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police Service) cadre.
With inputs from agencies
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