MHA rejects Haryana's demand for new assembly building in Chandigarh
PTC News Desk: The Ministry of Home Affairs has rejected Haryana's proposal seeking to construct separate assembly building in Chandigarh.
According to the senior functionaries, the MHA explicitly told the Haryana government not to pursue the matter with the Chandigarh administration. The rejection is likely to avoid another flashpoint in Punjab ahead of the assembly elections slated to held in 2027.
Early this year, the Chandigarh Administration had rejected the proposal of Haryana to swap land for its new Vidhan Sabha building in the city, citing the absence of any such provision in the UT Master Plan-2031.
The then Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta had demanded a portion of land for the construction of new Vidhan Sabha building in Chandigarh-common capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
The UT Administration had offered three sites — near the IT Park, near Kalagram in Manimajra and on the road from the Railway light point to the IT Park — to the Haryana Government. Later, Gupta, along with the then Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, visited the sites and finalised the 10-acre plot located on the road from the Railway light point to the IT Park in June 2022.
The issue gained momentum after Union Minister Amit Shah during North Zonal meeting in Jaipur in 2022 announcing that a land would be provided to Haryana for its new assembly.
In July 2023, Chandigarh initially agreed to allocate a 10-acre plot to Haryana for building its own Assembly complex along Madhya Marg. The land selected was a prime location near the railway light point next to the IT Park, with an estimated value of about ₹640 crore.
Haryana proposed a land exchange, offering 12 acres in Saketri, Panchkula. However, the UT administration turned down the proposal in January this year.
Haryana's demand arises from anticipated delimitation exercise in 2026-most likely to increase Assembly constituencies of the state from 90-126 and Lok Sabha seats from 10 to 14, prompting the state authorities to seek expansion of the facility.
- PTC NEWS
