Akali Dal seeks roll back of UT policy to cap deputation of staff

Chandigarh : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday demanded a roll back of the new policy of the Union Territory administration of Chandigarh to cap the deputation of employees from Punjab and Haryana to the UT at seven years only.

Condemning the decision, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the new policy was against the ad hoc arrangement agreed to by the UT administration at the time of division of the state into Punjab and Haryana. He said it was then agreed that staff for the UT would be taken from Punjab and Haryana on 60:40 ratio respectively.

Asserting that the deputation of Punjab and Haryana government employees could not be equated with other such deputations in the country, Cheema said, “In the case of Punjab and Haryana employees, they are posted as a right by the two governments.” He said the employees so posted did not draw any deputation allowance like other deputations.

“It is clear that the new policy is aimed at discouraging the posting of employees from Punjab and Haryana in the UT. With such uncertain conditions they would not like to shift to Chandigarh permanently.”

Cheema said the UT administration should keep in mind that the entity was a temporary arrangement pending transfer to Punjab. “In such a case the UT administration does not have any right to frame such policies,” he said.