After Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Sunday that employees of the Chandigarh administration will now be subject to the Central Civil Services Rules, with that a new struggle between the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has erupted.
While Shah has stated that the move will benefit employees “significantly,” some BJP leaders have admitted off the record that putting Chandigarh employees under the Central Civil Services Rules is part of a larger strategy to contain the AAP, which is seen as a viable alternative in national politics following its big victory in Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he is ready to “battle” for the state’s “rightful claim” over the Union territory (UT) of Chandigarh, which has been a political problem in the region for some time.
Bhagwant Mann also took to this statement to his twitter.
Employees in the Punjab administration may want a pay raise to match their Chandigarh colleagues, which is a more practical worry for the Mann government.
What the new rules mean for Chandigarh?
Although Chandigarh is the state capital of both Punjab and Haryana, it is a Union territory. It has its own administration, which is led by an administrator. Banwarilal Purohit, who is also the Governor of Punjab, now holds this position.
Around 23,000 people work in the Union Territory administration, which includes departments including health, education, and law enforcement, as well as a municipal corporation.
The change will affect these 23,000 employees So far, these 23,000 employees have been protected by the Punjab Service Rules, according to the official. This means that Chandigarh’s administrative employees’ terms of employment were determined by a set of rules developed by the Punjab government for Punjab employees. “That will change,” the officer predicted.
Shah said on Sunday that the applicable service standards would be changed, resulting in a raise in the retirement age from 58 to 60 (and 65 for college professors), additional childcare leave for women employees, and extra perks.
The Politics
Parties in Punjab are interpreting Shah’s unexpected declaration in the light of the Chandigarh municipal elections held in December, in which the BJP was defeated by the AAP.
Although Chandigarh is considered a BJP stronghold, the AAP won the majority of the 14 seats in December. The BJP won the mayoral election, but it was a close call because one vote was found invalid.
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind, the BJP appears to be attempting to court UT personnel, acknowledging hat it would need all the aid it can get in light of the recent Assembly results.
BJP’s Counterpoint
Satya Pal Jain, a senior leader and former Chandigarh MP, alleged that while the Punjab government was unable to accept the recommendations of numerous pay commissions for its employees, the Centre had approved a long-pending demand of UT employees in one go.
Previously, UT personnel received salaries, allowances, and other benefits based on the Punjab paradigm, but now they will receive them based on the Central government system, which will be more beneficial to them, he said.
Jain also stated that the ruling would have no bearing on Punjab. “When they are our employees, how does the announcement impact Punjab? We had been pursuing the case with the Prime Minister and Home Minister for quite some time now… This decision does not go against the interest of any state.”
Published By : Ankit Singh
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
