Earlier this month, Haryana Dy. CM said it would be better if both Haryana and Punjab agreed on Chandigarh as a Union Territory and make their independent capitals and Benches of High Courts.

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Why was Chandigarh created?

• Chandigarh was planned to replace Lahore, the capital of erstwhile Punjab, which became part of Pakistan during the Partition.
• In March 1948, the Government of (India’s) Punjab, in consultation with the Centre, approved the area of the foothills of the Shivaliks as the site for the new capital.
• From 1952 to 1966 (till Haryana was carved out of Punjab), Chandigarh remained the capital of Punjab.

How did it become a shared capital?

• At the time of reorganization of Punjab in 1966, the city assumed the unique distinction of being the capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
• Even as it was declared a union territory and was placed under the direct control of the Centre.
• The properties in Chandigarh were to be divided into 60:40 ratio in favour of Punjab.

Punjab’s claim

• The-then PM Indira Gandhi had announced that Haryana, in due course, would have its own capital and Chandigarh would go to Punjab.
• As per documents submitted in the Lok Sabha, the Centre had even issued a formal communication is this regard on January 29, 1970, almost three years after Haryana came into being.
• Again, in 1985, under the Rajiv-Longowal accord, Chandigarh was to be handed over to Punjab on January 26, 1986, but the Rajiv Gandhi government withdrew at the last minute.

Haryana’s counter-claim

• As per the 1970 documents, the Centre had considered various alternatives for settling the matter, including dividing the city.
• But that wasn’t feasible since Chandigarh was built as a planned city to serve as the capital of one state.
• Haryana was told to use the office and residential accommodation in Chandigarh only for five years till it shifts to its own new capital.
• The Centre had offered Rs 10 crore grant to Haryana and an equal amount of loan for setting up the new capital.
• In 2018, Haryana CM suggested setting up a special body for the development of Chandigarh, but the Punjab CM rejected it, saying the city “indisputably belonged to Punjab”.

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