Badal opposes merger of PCS and HCS posts of Chandigarh into cadre of DANICS

by Punjabnewswire4u

CHANDIGARH. OCT 18

          Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought personal intervention of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Minister for Home Affairs Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde urging them to issue instructions to the concerned authorities for immediate withdrawal of the proposed merger of the posts currently held by the officers of Punjab Civil Services as well as Haryana Civil Services into the cadre of UT Chandigarh with Delhi and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Civil Services (DANICS), before it was allowed to snowball into a major controversy to vitiate the atmosphere in this region.

In two separate letters to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, Mr. Badal apprised both of them about the recent step undertaken by the Ministry of Home Affairs directing the UT Administration of Chandigarh to complete the procedural formalities for the above mentioned merger and send the draft Notification regarding the same to it, on the lines of already approved merger of DSP cadre of UT Chandigarh with Delhi and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS). The implementation of this would mean that the civil posts currently held by the officers of Punjab Civil Services as well as Haryana Civil Services would then be manned by the officers of DANICS cadre only.  He impressed upon the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister to this proposal before it is allowed to snowball into a major controversy to vitiate the atmosphere in this region

          Terming this issue of extreme public sensitivity in Punjab, the Chief Minister asked Dr. Singh and Mr. Shinde to resolve it on the top priority as the casual manner in which the issue continues to be treated by the concerned policy makers in Government of India was highly deplorable.

The Chief Minister said “Government of India’s acknowledgement of Punjab’s right over this new move would strike at the roots of Punjab's inalienable right over its Capital City. All this will not only lead to widespread resentment among the officers and officials of the Punjab cadre but will also have the potential of blowing up into a major political controversy.  That, as you know, Sir, is something that is best avoided at this stage, considering how hard earned is the atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in Punjab and the rest of the region”.

Mr. Badal informed them the issue related to the maintenance of the 60:40 ratioof representation of officers and officials of the states of Punjab and Haryana in the administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh for them. This too was a strictly stop-gap arrangement in view of the unanimous nation-wide acknowledgement of Punjab's right over Chandigarh as its capital. This right has been repeatedly endorsed by all the highest forums in the country, including the Parliament.   

The Chief Minister also envisaged their attention to instructions, guidelines and administrative advice from the Government of India to the UT Administration regarding the maintenance of the 60: 40 ratio.   He recalled even the former Union Minister for Home Affairs Mr. P. Chidambaram through his communication in June, 2012  had assured him (Badal) that "the MHA is particularly concerned about the sensitivity of States of Punjab and Haryana  with regard to Chandigarh and, therefore, no steps “that generate any misgivings” over the issue will  be taken.  Mr. Chidambaram had also graciously informed him in the same letter that the Union Home Secretary had spoken to the Administrator, Chandigarh in this regard, asking him to ensure that the60:40 arrangement between Punjab and Haryana is respected and that not only the postings but even the allocation of departments between the officers from Punjab and Haryana continued as per  the above ratio. The Union Home Secretary had asked the UT Administrator that there should be no shuffling of Departments in violation of this settled principle.   

Mr. Badal bemoaned despite such categorical assurances given from time to time by persons holding highly responsible positions in the Government of India, there has been no let up in the unfortunate efforts to create confusion over the subject in order to dilute the claim and the legitimate right of Punjab on the Union Territory of Chandigarh. There has even been a move to empower the UT administration to undertake its own recruitment process rather than adopting officials and officers form the states of Punjab and Haryana, mentioned Mr. Badal.