Amid protests, Punjab Governor says no land allotted for Haryana Assembly in Chandigarh yet

Chandigarh: Amid strong protests by different political outfits against the Centre over land allotment to Haryana government for constructing a new Assembly building in Chandigarh, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday said that no land has been allocated for the purpose yet. “No land has been allotted yet. Their (Haryana’s) proposal is pending for a long time. But nothing can be said until a decision is made in this matter,” Kataria said while responding to a query on the sidelines of an event here.

The statement of Kataria, who is also the administrator for the Union Territory of Chandigarh, assumes significance after Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition outfits took umbrage over the Centre’s reported move to clear the allotment of 10 acres of land in Chandigarh to Haryana for the construction of its Assembly building.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has reportedly granted environmental clearance for the land offered by the Haryana government to the Chandigarh administration in exchange for the land to build its second Assembly building here.

The Haryana government offered 12 acres of land in Panchkula in exchange for 10 acres of land near the IT Park Road in Chandigarh.

At present, Punjab and Haryana’s separate Assembly premises are located in the common building complex next to the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh, which is the joint capital of the two states.

On Friday, an AAP delegation met the Punjab governor over the issue, asserting that Chandigarh belongs to Punjab and not an inch of its land should be given to Haryana for the construction of its Assembly building. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, calling the reported move an attempt to encroach upon Punjab’s capital city.