NEW DELHI: Amid the political row kicked up by the proposed constitutional amendment to bring Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240, home ministry Sunday clarified that the proposal neither “seeks to alter Chandigarh’s governance or administrative structure” nor “change the traditional arrangements between Chandigarh and the states of Punjab and Haryana”. In a post on X, the home ministry held out the reassurance that the central govt has no intention of introducing any Bill on the issue in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.Intention was to simplify law-making process: MHA The statement followed protests from political parties in Punjab which claimed that the proposed amendment to put the administration of Chandigarh under a lieutenant governor, in line with other Union territories which don’t have assemblies, was an attempt to weaken Punjab’s control over the UT. The parties were reacting to a Lok Sabha bulletin listing the bills the govt could consider moving in the Winter session. Chandigarh is currently governed by an administrator, a position vested in the Punjab governor. The home ministry’s post said the intention behind the proposal was to only simplify the central govt’s law-making process for the Union territory of Chandigarh. “The proposal… is still under consideration” and “no final decision has been taken,” it stated. The ministry added that a suitable decision on the proposal shall be taken only after adequate consultations with all stakeholders, keeping in mind the interests of Chandigarh. “There is no need for any concern,” it said while ruling out any plans to bring it before Parliament in the upcoming session. The move had triggered sharp protests from Punjab parties. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann termed it as “a conspiracy to snatch” Chandigarh, Punjab’s capital.
