Chandigarh: Haryana assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta has urged Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is also Chandigarh union territory (UT) administrator, to expedite the allotment of the land for the new Haryana vidhan sabha building in Chandigarh.
Gupta who met Purohit on Saturday, told newspersons that it was a courtesy call during which he also requested him to expedite the allotment of a site for the new Haryana assembly building. Gupta said that he was assured that the next course of action would be taken within the next few days.
It may be recalled that Gupta and the chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had inspected in recent past a 10-acre site near Chandigarh railway station road junction, in return of which Haryana had offered a land of equal size in Panchkula. However, the site was yet to be allotted.
Chandigarh belonged to both Punjab and Haryana
Stating that Chandigarh belonged to both Punjab and Haryana, hence, the new Haryana Vidhan Sabha building would be constructed in Chandigarh, Gupta held that the 20 rooms which came under Haryana’s share were still in the possession of the Punjab legislative assembly, hence lack of adequate space for Haryana legislators, ministers and their committees along with the employees and the need for a new building.
It may also be recalled that in July, this year, the Union home minister Amit Shah, while chairing the 30th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council meeting in Jaipur announced that land would be given to Haryana for its additional legislative assembly in Chandigarh.
Pertinently, both the states - Punjab and Haryana - share a common assembly complex in Chandigarh – which has the status of heritage building – which houses their respective state assemblies; Chandigarh is the joint capital of both the states as well as a union territory.
However, while there is not enough space available for Haryana vidhan sabha which has 90 members, the existing building cannot be expanded or altered as it has a heritage building status.
Punjab Congress, SAD Oppose move
However, the Punjab Congress as well as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have opposed the said move claiming Chandigarh belonged to Punjab.
Reacting to the meeting between Gupta and Punjab governor and UT administrator, the Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said any move to grant land to Haryana in Chandigarh would mean encroachment on Punjab’s rights which people of Punjab would resist at all costs.
Alleging that ever since the BJP formed the government at the Centre and in Haryana it was trying to create problems for Punjab, he pointed out that the said move was one of several such issues like curtailing Punjab’s role in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), converting Panjab University into a Central University, forcing Punjab to provide water to the neighbouring states and reducing the number of Punjab employees from Chandigarh administration.
The SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia also urged upon the Punjab governor to consider the sensitivity of the issue and deny Haryana's request as Punjab had an inalienable right over Chandigarh and the same had been ratified by Central governments and even accepted in parliament.
