Chandigarh was part of Ambala and we will get it: Hooda

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, JULY 25

 The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has disputed the claim made by Punjab on Chandigarh, and asserted that “Chandigarh belongs to Haryana as earlier it was a part
of Ambala, and we will definitely get it.”
He was replying to a question of a media person who wanted him to comment on the statement published in a newspaper in which Punjab has staked claim on Chandigarh.

      The Chief Minister said, “I wonder on what basis they are (Punjab) is staking claim on Chandigarh, as initially, Chandigarh was a part of Ambala. They are claiming Chandigarh on the basis of Chandigarh being the Capital of the erstwhile Punjab. If that is the basis of their argument, then Lahore and Shimla too have been the capital of Punjab. Why don’t they stake claim on Lahore and Shimla also”, Mr Hooda asked, adding that Chandigarh is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana.

          Mr. Hooda said that he had no objection to the Punjab Government’s decision to develop Mullanpur as “we have also developed Panchkula and are also developing Kalka and Pinjore. However, Chandigarh is a brand name and one should not copy it. It is completely unethical”, Mr Hooda added.

           Asked about the Supplementation Programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Mr. Hooda said that as many as 18 lakh children were being given iron and folic acid tablets under the programme. It is a national programme being carried out under the prescription of doctors to combat the problem of anaemia in children so that they remain mentally and physically fit.

   Mr Hooda said that there were some preventive measures which should be taken while administering the tablets. These should be administered to children only after the meals and these should not be given to ailing children.

   In reply to another question, Mr. Hooda said that now with the appointment of new members of the HPSC, their number had increased to six, including the Chairman. The public service commission of any state, be it the Union Public Service Commission or the Haryana Public Service Commission, is the appropriate body for recruitment, he added.