Chandigarh UT To Have Same Benefits As Central Govt. : Union HM Shah

Mr. Shah says the benefits will help the Chandigarh administration

Chandigarh: Ahead of the recent elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that employees of the Chandigarh Union Territory administration will the same benefits as Central government employees have had the political parties in Punjab on the ruling party and opposition.

All alleged that it dilutes Punjab's claim on Chandigarh and is against the spirit of federalism. AAP alleged it was a panic reaction by the BJP after its big victory in the state.

Taking notes from the Union Home Minister's statement of Sunday, the service conditions of employees of the Chandigarh UT administration will be aligned to that of the central civil services, which will increase their retirement age and allow more child care leave to women.

Declaring that the employees are going to "benefit in a big way," Mr. Shah said "the retirement age of employees in the Union Territory will now go up from 58 to 60 years. Women employees will now get child care leave of two years from the current one year.

While inaugurating a series of projects of the Chandigarh Police, Union HM Shah made the announcement, saying it was a "long-pending demand of employees of the Chandigarh administration".

Adding more details, he said, "Today, the Modi government has made a big decision… Tomorrow a notification will be issued and from the upcoming financial year (April 1) you will get the benefit."

While there was no reaction from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann or his ministers, senior AAP leader and Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that BJP is "scared" of the rise of AAP.

"From 2017 to 2022 Congress-ruled Punjab. Amit Shah didn't take away Chandigarh's powers then. As soon as AAP formed Govt. in Punjab, Amit Shah took away Chandigarh's services," Mr Sisodia tweeted.