Letter to Rajnath Singh by Navjot Singh Sidhu...

Sidhu termed the said notification against the very foundation and purpose of the Punjab Reotrganisation Act & the Rajiv Longowal Accord in the letter to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Letter to Rajnath Singh by Navjot Singh Sidhu:

Dear Rajnath Ji,

On this auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti, I am conveying to you my deep sense of anguish and concern on some recent developments, which affect the State of Punjab deeply and therefore, concerns me not only as a Minister in the Cabinet serving the State but also as a Punjabi.  You are aware that recently by way of notification dated 25.09.2018, in exercise of power conferred by Proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution of India, the Central Government has brought various posts of Chandigarh Administration, including the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police, within the ambit of DANIPS Cadre. 

With effect from the date of said notification, all the posts mentioned in the aforesaid notification would be outside the ambit of States of Punjab and Haryana and would be filled up by way of procedure prescribed under the said notification by the Government of India.  As I will explain in detail hereinafter, this notification shakes the very foundation and purpose of the Punjab Reorganization Act and the Rajiv Longowal Accord.

Sir, you are aware that by way of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, the erstwhile State of Punjab was bifurcated by way of formation of new State namely the State of Haryana and also the Union Territory to be known as Union Territory of Chandigarh.  The aforesaid Reorganization Act also envisaged that from the said appointed date, which was to be 1^st Day of November, 1966, all assets and liabilities were to be bifurcated between the State of Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40. 

This ratio has been consistently followed from the appointed date for over a period of 50 years, even for the purpose of allocating officers for the Union Territory of Chandigarh from the States of Punjab and Haryana.  The 60:40 rules, in respect of various cadres of officers allocated to Union Territory of Chandigarh while acting reorganization of these States vis-à-vis the Union Territory, has become binding convention and is being followed religiously since then. 

For all appointments in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, the aforesaid ratio was being followed and implemented.  It would not be out of place to mention that it was in principal decided that the Union Territory of Chandigarh would form and be the Capital of the State of Punjab and it was only given the status of Union Territory till such time, the newly constituted State of Haryana form its own Capital.  This understanding attained the written mandate by way of Rajiv Longowal Accord signed in 1985, according to which, the Union Territory of Punjab was to be transferred to Punjab on 26^th Day of January, 1986. 

However, to the utmost dismay and disappointment of the Punjabis, it could not be done and the Union Territory continues to be the joint Capital of the States of Punjab and Haryana. Sir, as a Punjabi and a Minister holding the mandate of the people, I beseech upon you to reconsider the aforesaid notification of 25.09.2018.  By way of said notification, the legitimate and existing binding convention of 60:40 has been unjustifiably taken away from the people of Punjab. There is genuine apprehension amongst the Punjabis that by enacting more notifications like the one, all the cadres would be taken away from the Punjabi Officers and as such, their legitimate expectations would be frustrated.

Sincerely 
Navjot Singh Sidhu