'No Intention...': MHA's Big Clarification Amid Row Over Chandigarh Administration

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday issued a clarification stating that the central government has no intention to alter Chandigarh's governance or administrative structure. The clarification came amid

reports of Centre's proposal to include the Union territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to make regulations for the Union Territory and legislate directly by appointing an independent administrator. The Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement said, "The proposal to simplify the process of law-making exclusively by the Central Government for the Union Territory of Chandigarh is currently under consideration at the level of the Central Government. No final decision has been taken on this proposal.""This proposal does not in any way involve altering the governance and administrative arrangements of Chandigarh or the traditional relations of Chandigarh with Punjab or Haryana. An appropriate decision will be taken only after adequate consultation with all stakeholders, keeping in mind the interests of Chandigarh. There is no need for concern on this matter. The Central Government has no intention of presenting any bill to this effect in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament," the statement read.

According to a PTI report, the Central government has proposed to include Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240. The Bill would bring Chandigarh in alignment with other Union Territories without legislatures such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Puducherry (when its Legislative Assembly is dissolved or suspended).As of now, the Punjab governor is currently the Administrator of the UT of Chandigarh. It was earlier administered independently by the chief secretary since November 1, 1966, when Punjab was reorganised.In August 2016, the Centre had sought to restore the old practice of having an independent administrator by appointing former IAS officer K J Alphons for the top post. However, the move was withdrawn after stiff opposition from the then Punjab chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal, who was part of the NDA, and other parties, including the Congress and AAP.

New Proposal Triggers Outrage in Punjab

The move that evoked sharp reactions from Congress, Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said it is a grave injustice that the BJP government is "conspiring to snatch" Punjab's capital. Chandigarh was, is and will always remain an integral part of the state, Mann said in a statement. Nobody can deny that being the parent state, Punjab has the sole right to its capital, Chandigarh, he stressed.Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called the move "totally uncalled for" and warned against "taking away" Chandigarh from Punjab. "Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and any attempt to snatch it away will have serious repercussions", he said.He asked the Punjab unit BJP leaders to clarify their position on the matter. He also urged CM Mann to immediately take up the matter with the central government to "nip the proposal in the bud".Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Bill would be a "betrayal" of the commitments given by the Centre to restore Chandigarh to Punjab. Badal said the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill sought to take the union territory permanently out of Punjab's administrative and political control. Describing the proposed legislation as an "assault on the rights of Punjab", Badal said it was also against federalism. "It seeks to end Punjab's claim to Chandigarh as its capital city."Seeking an intervention in the matter, AAP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney said all lawmakers should call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asserting that Punjab's claims on Chandigarh have "historical significance". Citing a news report, Sahney said in a post on X that the Centre is bringing a "politically sensitive" Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to bring the Union Territory of Chandigarh under Article 240, like several other UTs.