Haryana will get land in Chandigarh for new Vidhan Sabha building, announces Home Minister Amit Shah

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 9

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today announced that Haryana would be given land in Chandigarh for the construction of an additional Vidhan Sabha building.

Shah was chairing the Northern Zonal Council meeting of states at Jaipur.

During the meeting, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said that a new delimitation is proposed in the year 2026, on the basis of which Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections will be held in the year 2029. It is estimated that according to the population of Haryana in the new delimitation, the number of assembly constituencies will be 126 and the number of Lok Sabha constituencies will be 14, he said.

At present, there are 90 MLAs in the Haryana Legislative Assembly. “There is not enough space available in the existing building to even accommodate these 90 MLAs. Not only this, but it is also not possible to carry out the expansion, because it is a heritage building. It is, therefore, requested that sufficient space may be given in Chandigarh for the construction of a new additional building for the Vidhan Sabha,” said Khattar.

Holding a press conference in Chandigarh, Speaker, Haryana Legislative Assembly, Gian Chand Gupta, said, “We have been trying to get land for the last one year. The Chief Minister has a big role to play in taking the matter to Lok Sabha speaker, Vice President, and Union Home Minister,” he said.

“The present building doesn’t have space for ministers and Vidhan Sabha committees. Once we get the site, we will soon start the construction,” he said.

In reply to a question, Gupta said that the construction of an additional building didn’t mean that the state would leave its claim of rightful share in the existing Vidhan Sabha building which also houses the Punjab assembly. “There are about 20 rooms which should be handed over to us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the announcement has caused heartburns to political leaders in Punjab, who have been opposing land allotment for Haryana Assembly in Chandigarh as they stake claim to the city.

In a tweet by Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, he urged CM Bhagwant Mann “to immediately convene an all party meeting to oppose tooth amp; nail illegal allocation of land to Haryana for a new Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh that belongs to Punjab. Haryana should build their complex in their own state and not in Chandigarh!”

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has appealed to the Union government to allot land to Punjab in Chandigarh to build its own Vidhan Sabha on the pattern of Haryana. Through a tweet, he stated that there has been a long standing demand that Punjab and Haryana should have separate high courts. He urged the Centre to provide land for the same in Chandigarh.

Haryana will get land in Chandigarh for new Vidhan Sabha building, announces Home Minister Amit Shah
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