Punjab CM reiterates claim on Chandigarh, PU at Zonal Council meet

Faridabad (Haryana), Nov 17 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday reiterated state's claim over Chandigarh, Panjab University, and river waters before Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council here.

Mann also advocated genuine federal structure in the country at the meeting chaired by Shah.

Flagging the issues, the chief minister said the Constitution clearly demarcates areas in which the Union and the states have to function to exercise their respective authority. Unfortunately, there has been a trend towards centralization of authority in the past 75 years, he said.

Pleading for handing over Chandigarh to the state of Punjab, Mann said that the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, signed on July 24, 1985, between then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, reaffirmed that Chandigarh will be transferred to Punjab.

However, Mann bemoaned that despite all promises, Chandigarh was not transferred to Punjab, which has "bruised the psyche of every Punjabi".

He said that the Centre's recent attempts to restructure the Panjab University's governance have been seen as interference in Punjab's rights and to its state identity and autonomy.

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 UT 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.

The chief minister said that another linked issue is the posting of Punjab cadre officers to the post of General Manager FCI (Punjab) and on the post of MD of CITCO, which has been held by an IAS officer of Punjab cadre in the past.

In the wake of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, he said there is a great opportunity for the resolution of water-related issues concerning the states being represented here, according to an official statement.

Mann said 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".

He said this would help in inflow of surplus water gainfully to downstream states, including Punjab, for both power generation and irrigation.

Raising the issue of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Mann 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.

The chief minister also strongly opposed any proposal to raise the Full Reservoir Levels of Bhakra and Pong dams.

He claimed that Punjab suffered losses of nearly Rs 13,500 crore last year while Rajasthan faced no impact and has itself stated that it cannot take any additional water during floods.

Reiterating that the state has no surplus water to spare through Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the chief minister said that there has been no scientific calculation regarding the availability of water even in 1976 and 1981 when the ratio of waters to be shared among the states was decided by the government of India "unilaterally".

Mann also opposed the proposal to transfer control of the Ropar, Harike and Ferozepur headworks to BBMB as these headworks are located entirely within Punjab and have always been physically operated and maintained by the state.

The chief minister said that serious efforts need to be made by the Centre and the respective states to stop any floodwaters going to Bay of Bengal through Yamuna, in whose waters, Punjab should be included as a beneficiary.

On the issue of Panjab University, he said the varsity 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, we do not understand why Haryana wants to affiliate its colleges with Panjab University, when they have already been affiliated for the last 50 years with Kurukshetra University," he said. PTI SKC SKC KVK KVK