AAP urges govt not to override rights of Punjab govt in Chandigarh admin
Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 Mar, 2022 10:59 AM
New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday urged the union government not to override the rights of the elected government of Punjab by implementing the central laws on the administration of Chandigarh, a Union Territory.
Raising the issue during 'Zero Hour' in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said that the state of Punjab does not have its own capital like other states. He further said that Chandigarh was made joint capital of Punjab and Haryana in 1966 and under the provision of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, the state of Punjab is providing 60 per cent staff to the UT administration whereas Haryana is providing 40 per cent for the same.
"Recently, the central government intends to implement central laws on the Chandigarh Administration. Newly elected Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to regularise all contractual employees of Punjab. If the central laws will be applied on the Chandigarh UT, then many of the contractual employees working in the UT office will be barred from these facilities," Singh further said.
He also urged the government not to encroach the rights of the Punjab government.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 27 had announced that Central Civil Service Rules will be implemented for all employees under Chandigarh Administration.
This decision has evoked sharp criticism from Punjab leaders who, cutting across party lines, termed it "an encroachment on Punjab's rights".
If the Central Civil Service Rules are implemented, all employees will get the pay scale under the Central service rules but also this will enhance the retirement age from 58 to 60 years and the maternity leave will be extended to two years from existing one year instead of existing one year for women employees.
Unveiling the first set of plans in his Punjab Model with focus on resurrection of Punjab, Sidhu, in the absence of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Cabinet colleagues, told the media here: "Punjab Model is people's model, an effort to give a roadmap to return power to people."
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that he "personally" feels that alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab had cost the BJP heavily.
India on Tuesday recorded 1,68,063 new Covid cases, taking the total tally to 8,21,446. Although the fresh infections were 6.4 per cent less than Monday when the country logged 1,79,723, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 8.85 per cent and the daily positivity rate has declined to 10.64 per cent. On the other hand, 4,461 Omicron cases were recorded from 28 states.
Delhi reported a 25 per cent surge in Covid-19 cases after recording 19,166 fresh cases. With this, the infection tally has climbed to 15,68,896. Meanwhile, the city has recorded 17 Covid deaths on the second consecutive day, pushing the death toll to 25,177.
On Monday, after a detailed hearing in the matter, a bench, headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, said the court will set up a committee headed by a retired top court judge to probe the PM's security breach and asked both the Centre and Punjab government to not move ahead with their respective inquiries into the matter.
Several Supreme Court advocates on Monday claimed to have received an international call with a recorded message asking the apex court not to help the Central government by taking up a case connected with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach in Punjab last week.
