Chandigarh bill row: Expect Centre not to take any decision without consultation, says Mann

Chandigarh, Nov 23 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Sunday said he is happy that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to "withdraw" the proposed bill on Chandigarh and expressed hope that the Centre in future will not take any decision concerning the state without consulting its people.

His remarks came hours after the MHA said it has no intention to bring the proposed bill on Chandigarh in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament and asserted that the proposal doesn't aim to change traditional arrangements between Chandigarh and Punjab and Haryana.

The MHA's clarification came a day after a bulletin of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha listed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025 among the provisional list of 10 bills for the upcoming session beginning December 1.

The bill that proposes to bring Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to make regulations for the UT and legislate directly, sparked sharp reactions from leaders in Punjab.

In a post on X, Mann said he was happy that the central government has decided to "withdraw" the proposed Chandigarh bill and not bring it in Parliament.

"I hope that in the future too, no decision related to Punjab will be taken without consulting the people of Punjab," he said.

Later, speaking to reporters in Anandpur Sahib, Mann said what was the need of taking such decisions if they have to be taken back.

The row erupted over the bulletin of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha which showed that the Centre has proposed to include the Union Territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, empowering the president to make regulations for the UT and legislate directly.

If the bill is passed, Chandigarh could have an independent administrator.

Chandigarh serves as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.

The proposed amendment has sparked political outrage in Punjab, with the ruling AAP, the Congress, and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) criticising the BJP-led Centre, accusing the government of attempting to "snatch" Chandigarh from Punjab.

Currently, the Punjab governor serves as the administrator of the UT of Chandigarh. It was previously administered independently by a chief secretary since November 1, 1966, when Punjab was reorganised.

However, since June 1, 1984, Chandigarh has been administered by the Punjab governor and the chief secretary's position was converted to an adviser to the UT administrator.

In August 2016, the Centre 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.

Punjab, which has staked its claim on Chandigarh, also wants the immediate transfer of Chandigarh to it. Chief Minister Mann has reiterated this demand during a recent meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Faridabad. PTI CHS KVK KVK