Overview
- A parliamentary bulletin had listed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill for the Winter Session to place Chandigarh under Article 240.
- Article 240 would empower the President to issue regulations for the Union Territory and is widely seen as enabling appointment of an independent administrator, whereas the Punjab governor has held additional charge since 1984.
- AAP, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal condemned the plan as undermining Punjab’s claim to the joint capital and urged a united effort to block it.
- In a formal clarification, the home ministry said no final decision has been taken, no Bill will be introduced this session, and existing arrangements with Punjab and Haryana would not be changed.
- Some former officials argue the shift would be primarily technical and would not by itself alter Chandigarh’s Union Territory status or require a separate administrator.