Chandigarh, Apr 1 (PTI) The Punjab Assembly on Friday passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the state, with CM Bhagwant Mann accusing the Centre of trying to upset the balance in the administration of the Union Territory and other common assets.

The resolution was moved by Mann, whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recently stormed to power in the state. It was passed by the House in the absence of the two BJP MLAs, who had staged a walkout.

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Except the BJP, whose state unit chief Ashwani Sharma said he doubts the intent behind the resolution, members of all political parties supported the move.

The one-day special session was called days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that central service rules will apply to employees of Chandigarh.

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The Centre has notified the rules, under which the retirement age has been increased from 58 to 60 years while child care leave has been increased from one year to two years.

Until now, Punjab service rules applied to employees of Chandigarh, which was made a UT and joint capital of Punjab and Haryana more than five decades ago.

Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966.

The resolution said whenever a state has been divided in the past, the capital remains with the parent state.

"Punjab, therefore, has been laying its claim for complete transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab," said the resolution, alluding to similar stands taken by previous state governments.

"For maintaining harmony and taking the sentiments of people into account, this House once again recommends to the state government to raise the matter with central government to immediately transfer Chandigarh to Punjab," it said.

During the over two-and-a-half-hour discussion, MLAs also targeted the BJP-led Centre over the now repealed farm laws and the appointment of members on the Bhakra Beas Management Board.

Senior Congress leader Partap Bajwa said the Centre is "testing the waters" and next in line will be "snatching of Punjab's waters", a reference to the sharing of river waters.

Mann said they will seek time from the president, prime minister and the Union home minister over the issue.

"I want to give a guarantee to the people of Punjab that we will strongly fight and protect state's rights, be it in the Vidhan Sabha or Parliament or on any other platform," said Mann in his address.

"Today, we brought a resolution for the rights of Punjab," said Mann, urging all political parties to unite for protecting the interests of the state.

Targeting BJP leaders for questioning the intention of the resolution, Mann said they get their speech straight from Nagpur, a reference to the headquarter of the RSS.

"I have heard a lot about 'Nagpuri santre' (oranges from Nagpur) but I heard 'Nagpuri' address for the first time. They get their address straight from Nagpur," said Mann.

Mann asked the Centre to honour principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and not to take any steps which may disturb the balance of the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets.

The Chandigarh Administration has always been managed by officers of Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40, the resolution said.

The resolution said since the reorganisation of the state in 1966 a "balance was maintained in the administration of common assets like the Bhakra Beas Management Board,…through many of its recent actions the Centre has been trying to upset this balance".

"However, recently central government has posted officers from outside to Chandigarh and has introduced central civil service rules for employees of the Chandigarh Administration, which goes completely against the understanding in the past," it said.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa urged Mann to consult the Punjab Advocate General and explore all legal remedies available to the state.

Bajwa objected to Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema charging successive Congress governments with neglecting the state's interests.

Congress MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa demanded that an all-party meeting should be convened on the issue.

AAP legislator Aman Arora sought a special session on the SYL canal issue.

SAD MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali said he supported the government over the issue.

Opposing the resolution, BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma earlier said he doubts the intent behind it. He said the resolution is aimed at misleading people of Punjab.

He asked which provision of the Punjab Reorganisation Act has been violated by the Centre's recent decision.

He said from 1966, the central service rules were applicable for many years in Chandigarh. Later, as Punjab's pay scale became more lucrative, the UT employees demanded it and they started getting it.

He along with other BJP MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan walked out of the House after they were allegedly not given enough time to speak.

The Speaker named Independent MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh for repeatedly interrupting the CM in the House.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)