Punjab Assembly wants Chandigarh transferred to state; passes resolution

The Punjab Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution moved by the Leader of the House and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urging the Centre to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab.

The resolution has been moved against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s decision to put Chandigarh under Central Service Rule.

The House also implored the Central government to honour the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and not take any steps which may disturb the balance in the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets like Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

However, BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma vehemently opposed the resolution while taking part in the deliberations on the resolution and subsequently walked out of the Assembly in protest.

Winding up the discussions after taking into consideration the points raised by various members of treasury and opposition benches during the one-day special sitting of the first session of 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Bhagwant Mann said his government would use all channels by seeking prior appointment from the Centre to call on the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to mount pressure on the Union government in order to take their fight for the legitimate right of Punjab to its logical end.

Giving a clarion call to all the members of opposition, Mann solicited wholehearted support and cooperation from all the parties, thus cutting across political affiliations as this issue was quite sensitive and of immense emotional and social significance. Therefore, in the larger public interest all of us should unite on a common platform to get the justifiable demands of state implemented from Centre in the letter and spirit, Mann said.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Congress MLAs Partap Singh Bajwa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Pargat Singh, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Sandeep Jakhar, AAP MLAs Principal Budh Ram, Aman Arora, Prof. Baljinder Kaur, Jai Kishen Rori and Jeevanjot Kaur, SAD MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali and BSP MLA Nacchatar Pal also participated in the deliberation on the resolution.