A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Central Civil Service Rules will be implemented for all employees under Chandigarh Administration from April 1, the move has sparked massive criticism from Punjab leaders.

Leading the charge, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday declared that the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Government will fight strongly for its “rightful claim over Chandigarh”.

 Accusing the BJP-led Central Government of trying to usurp Punjab’s rights over Chandigarh by announcing to impose the Central Service Rules over UT employees, State’s Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema alleged that the Centre is deliberately taking steps to take away Punjab’s claims over its Capital, Chandigarh.

 At the same time, the Shiromani Akali Dal, which had already opposed the move a day before as a “violation of the spirit of Punjab Reorganisation Act”, on Monday requested Mann to call an all-party meeting to approach the Centre to stop its efforts to make Chandigarh a permanent UT.

Shah, during his Chandigarh visit on Sunday, had announced that the UT Administration’s employees will now come under the Central Civil Services rules. Currently, Chandigarh employees are working under the Punjab Service Rules.

Though the decision is expected to bring big gains to the UT employees, like enhancement in their retirement age, and two-year child-care leave for women employees, among others, the move has turned into a major controversy in Punjab with the political leaders, cutting across party lines, lashing out at the BJP-led Central Government for the dictatorial and anti-Punjab decision to take over Punjab’s claims over Chandigarh.

 As Punjab has been staking a claim on Chandigarh as its capital, the move is being seen as an infringement on its rights and a violation of the 1966’s Reorganisation Act.

“The Central Government has been step wise imposing officers and personnel from other States and services in the Chandigarh administration. This goes against the letter and spirit of the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966. Punjab will fight strongly for its rightful claim over Chandigarh…(sic),” Mann tweeted on Monday.

 Mann, of late, had also come down heavily on the Centre for its decision to tweak the rules regarding appointments of two key officers of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

The Centre had revised the rules for the appointment of Member (Power) and Member (Irrigation), who were from Punjab and Haryana respectively and said they can now be picked from anywhere in the country.

Punjab Finance and Planning Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the BJP-led Central Government is adopting a dictatorial attitude and is continuously imposing its anti-Punjab decisions. “If they don’t refrain from it, the AAP and the Punjab Government will fight from the road to Parliament,” he declared.

Cheema said the people of Punjab will never allow the Central Government’s plans to end Punjab’s participation in Chandigarh Administration, Punjab University, and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to succeed.

He alleged that traditional ruling parties led by the Congress and the BJP at the Centre have given step-motherly treatment to Punjab, Punjabis, and Punjabiyat because Congressmen, the Badals and BJP members of Punjab have always surrendered before the Centre’s decisions.

Reacting strongly to the announcement by Shah to bring Chandigarh Union Territory employees under Central Civil Services Rules, SAD said, “It is incumbent on the AAP Government to make the Centre understand that Chandigarh is a Union Territory as per an ad-hoc arrangement only.”

“We have nothing against the employees of Chandigarh whose interests can be protected by the Punjab Government also. But we strongly protest against this latest move to pitch the employees against civil society and use them to snatch Punjab’s rights over Chandigarh,” said SAD’s senior leaders including Prem Singh Chandumajra, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and Hira Singh Gabria, in a joint statement, while calling upon the Chief Minister to fulfil his responsibility towards the State.

They noted that the Chief Minister did not take up the issue of dilution of Punjab’s stakes in the BBMB during his recent meeting with the Prime Minister. “Had the Chief Minister registered a strong protest on this issue, the Centre would have desisted from going ahead with the move to extend central rules on Chandigarh employees,” they said.

“It is even more galling that even as Mann did not take up this issue with the Prime Minister fearing a reprimand from AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Haryana Chief Minister had already demanded the release of Punjab river waters to Haryana...The Chief Minister has even chosen to remain silent on Khattar’s statement,” they said, adding that all these issues should be taken up at an all party meeting.