New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) The Centre has proposed to include the Union territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, which empowers the president to make regulations for the UT and legislate directly.
The government will bring the The Constitution (131 Amendment) Bill 2025 in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1, 2025, as per a bulletin of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The Bill seeks to include the Union territory of Chandigarh in Article 240 of the Constitution of India, in alignment with other UTs without legislatures such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Puducherry (when its Legislative Assembly is dissolved or suspended).
This could result in UT of Chandigarh having an independent administrator like when it had an independent chief secretary in the past.
The government also has proposed a provisional list of 10 Bills it seeks to bring during the upcoming session, the bulletin said.
Article 240 of the Constitution grants the power to the president to make regulations for certain Union territories for the peace, progress and effective governance of the Union territory of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Lakshadweep; Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and Puducherry.
However, it said when any body is created under article 239A to function as a legislature for a Union territory (as is the case in Puducherry), the president shall not make any regulation with effect from the day of the first meeting of the legislature.
It also states that any regulation so made may repeal or amend any Act made by Parliament or any other law, which is for the time being is applicable to the Union territory and, when promulgated by the president, shall have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament which applies to that territory.
Seeking an intervention in the matter, AAP MP Vikramjit Singh said all lawmakers should call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asserting that Punjab’s claims on Chandigarh have “historical significance”.
Citing a news report, Singh said in a post on X that the Centre is bringing a “politically sensitive” Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to bring the Union Territory of Chandigarh under Article 240, like several other UTs.
“Chandigarh is currently administered by the Punjab governor, and with the new law, it is likely to be administered by an independent administrator,” he posted.
“Punjab claims on Chandigarh have historical significance. Chandigarh was made capital of Punjab after partition as Lahore went to Pakistan,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.
After the Punjab’s reorganisation in 1966, Chandigarh was made the capital of Punjab and Haryana, and subsequently under mutiple accords, the Centre promised to make Chandigarh the capital of Punjab, Singh said.
“I request all MPs from Punjab to immediately call upon the home minister,” he said.
The Punjab governor is currently the Administrator of the UT of Chandigarh. It was earlier administered independently by the chief secretary since November 1, 1966, when Punjab was reorganised.
However, since June 1, 1984, Chandigarh has been administered by the Punjab governor and the chief secretary’s position was converted to Adviser to UT Administrator.
In August 2016, the Centre had sought to restore the old practice of having an independent administrator by appointing former IAS officer K J Alphons for the top post.
However, the move was withdrawn after stiff opposition from the then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was part of the NDA, and other parties including the Congress and AAP.
Chandigarh is the joint capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
Punjab, which Punjab has staked its claim on Chandigarh, also wants the immediate transfer of Chandigarh to it and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reiterated the demand during the recent meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Faridabad. PTI SKC SKY SKY
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.