Acceding to the request made by a delegation of Member of Parliaments (MPs) from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh Prof. Kaptaan Singh Solanki today stayed the operation of repatriating 450 teachers from Punjab to their parent state.The SAD delegation comprising Lok Sabha MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra and Rajya Sabha Members Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Mr. Balwinder Singh Bhunder called on the Governor at Haryana Raj Bhawan this evening. The delegation apprised him that there was a mutually agreed formula of 60:40 share for Punjab and Haryana in the administrative set up of Chandigarh which should be respected and kept intact, respecting the decisions and subsequent reminders of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The leaders said that this formula has been progressively and systematically diluted and the move of sending back Punjab teachers to their parent state was a part of it. However, they said that this violation must be immediately checked and interests of Punjab must be protected.
The delegation further said that this move was a grave injustice with more than 450 teachers of Punjab who have been serving in the government schools in Chandigarh from past several years. Seeking the personal intervention of Governor, the delegation urged him to safeguard the interest of the Punjab teachers in the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Acting swiftly the Governor gave a major relief to the teachers by immediately ordering to stay the entire operation of repatriating the Punjabi teachers to their parent state. The leaders of delegation, while expressing his gratitude to the Governor, said that this decision was in accordance to the mutually agreed formula enacted after Haryana was carved out from Punjab. Meanwhile raising an equally important issue, the delegation impressed upon the Governor to recognize Punjabi as the official language in the Union Territory. They said that it was ironic that though Chandigarh was capital of Punjab but then also Punjabi had been hitherto denied official status in the administrative set up of the Union Territory. They urged the Governor to immediately notify, Punjabi as the official language in Chandigarh.