Faridabad, November 17
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann vehemently reiterated claim over Chandigarh, Panjab University, river waters besides advocating genuine federal structure in the country before the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the 32ndmeeting of the Northern Zonal Council held here today.
Flagging the issues, the Chief Minister said that the Indian Constitution clearly demarcated areas in which the Union and the States have to function to exercise their respective authority. He said that Federalism remains one of the basic pillars of our Constitution but unfortunately, there has been a trend towards centralization of authority during the past 75 years. 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.
Vehemently pleading for handing over Chandigarh to the state of Punjab, the Chief Minister said that after the reorganization of the state 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 that the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, signed on July 24th, 1985, between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, explicitly reaffirmed that Chandigarh will be transferred to Punjab. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann bemoaned that despite all promises Chandigarh was not transferred to Punjab which has bruised the psyche of every Punjabi.
On the issue of Panjab University, the Chief Minister said that the university has a deep connection with the people of Punjab adding that it is only Punjab which has been supporting and nurturing this University for the last 50 years. Now at this stage, he said that we do not understand why Haryana wants to affiliate it’s colleges with Panjab University, when they have already been affiliated for the last 50 years with Kurukshetra University, an A+ NAAC accredited university. Mann said that he fails to understand what has changed for Haryana to now seek this affiliation having ignored Panjab University for the last 50 years.
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 that it is the need of the hour. He said that 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. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that 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 UT administration.
Mann said that another linked issue is the posting of Punjab Cadre officers to the post of General Manager FCI (Punjab). He said that considering the consistently highest contribution of the state of Punjab towards the Central pool, the established trend of posting of an IAS officer from Punjab Cadre to the Regional Office of the FCI should not be disturbed by the Government of India. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the post of MD CITCO has been held by an IAS officer of Punjab cadre in the past however, UT state service officers are being posted to this position, which is against the convention laid down in the administration of the UT of Chandigarh based on a 60:40 ratio for intake of personnel from Punjab and Haryana.
In the wake of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the Chief Minister said that there is a great opportunity for the resolution of water-related issues concerning the states being represented here. He said that there is a possibility of linking the Chenab river to the rivers Ravi and Beas, over which we already have dams regulating the water flow downstream. Mann said that in linking river Chenab with rivers Ravi and Beas, the surplus water inflow could be utilized gainfully by the downstream states, including Punjab, for both power generation and irrigation purposes adding that the extra water will also help the State of Punjab to meet its shortfall of water, particularly in the Border areas.
Raising the issue of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the Chief Minister forcefully opposed the proposal to appoint a whole-time Member in BBMB from Rajasthan as the board is a body constituted under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, which concerns only the successor states of Punjab and Haryana. He said that 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. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab has already submitted a panel for appointment of Members and the Government of India should continue with the original arrangement of one Member each from Punjab and Haryana.
