Don't curtail role of Punjab, Haryana officers in Chandigarh: Amarinder

With the Union Home Ministry inducting more officers from the Union Territory (UT) cadre on important posts in the union territory of Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has objected to the role of officers from Punjab and Haryana being curtailed.

Amarinder Singh on Friday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking cadre protection for Punjab in Chandigarh and his intervention "to ensure that the fine balance in sharing of resources and officials in the Union Territory between the states of Punjab and Haryana is not allowed to be disturbed".

The Chief Minister also urged the Home Minister to resolve the pending territorial dispute and restore Chandigarh to Punjab, being its "legitimate original capital".

Expressing concern over the constant effort seen over the past few years to disturb the "fine balance" in sharing officers/officials and other resources of the Union Territory between Haryana and Punjab, he also asked Rajnath Singh to advise the ministry not to induct UT cadre officers into the Chandigarh Administration.

The Home Minister was also asked not to curtail the role and responsibilities of the officers of Haryana and Punjab, as assigned to them in a pre-determined ratio of share.

"Unfortunately, during the past few years, it has been observed that there is a constant effort to disturb this fine balance achieved after a great deal of effort. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has been inducting more officers of UT cadre and other Union Territories into administration of Chandigarh without realizing implications of such avoidable decisions. There has been reduction in departments allocated to officers of Punjab and Haryana as also increase in number of UT cadre officers in Chandigarh," he said.

He further sought restoration of the role of Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandigarh, as head of the district police as earlier.

In his letter, the Chief Minister urged the Home Minister not to induct Deputy Superintendents of Police and other officials from UT cadre into Chandigarh, thus maintaining the share of Haryana as also of Punjab, till such time the pending territorial dispute between these two states is finally settled.

He noted that recently, the powers of Senior Superintendent of Police, who is an IPS Officer of Punjab cadre, have been curtailed, making him SSP (Law and Order).

"Asserting that Chandigarh is "undoubtedly was an integral part of Punjab", the Chief Minister said that being Punjab's capital, no one else can have any claim on it.

--IANS

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