Chandigarh, 16 November 2024: The longstanding dispute between Punjab and Haryana over land allocation in Chandigarh intensified on Friday as both states reiterated their claims over the Union Territory.
The escalation followed reports of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change granting clearance for allotting 10 acres in Chandigarh to Haryana for its new assembly building. Haryana proposed a land swap, offering 12 acres in Panchkula in exchange for the 10 acres near IT Park Road in Chandigarh. Currently, both states share the existing Vidhan Sabha complex.
Punjab’s AAP-led government sharply opposed the Centre’s move, submitting a memorandum to Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. “Chandigarh belongs entirely to Punjab, and we will not allow even an inch of land to be given to Haryana for its assembly building,” stated finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who led the AAP delegation.
Haryana’s Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini quickly responded, accusing AAP of engaging in “petty politics” over the issue.
The dispute over Chandigarh has persisted since Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966, making the city a shared capital. Despite various agreements and interventions by the Centre, the deadlock remains unresolved, with both states asserting their historical claims.
