CHANDIGARH, India: The Centre was told to revoke Article 249 of the Constitution that provided for the creation of security belt along the Pakistan border in the state of Punjab, said the Chief Minister, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala, Talking to newsman, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala said that there was no necessity to invoke Article 249. There was nothing that the Centre wanted to do after bringing it into operation which the state government was not already doing. The state government, he elaborated, had introduced the security scheme in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts and was introducing it in Ferozepur district also. He said that his proposal would have an adverse effect in the state and “our adversaries would take advantage of it”, there was no question of Akali government agreeing to the proposal since it had all along been fighting for more powers to states, he asserted.
This is the first time that the Punjab Chief Minister has: come out against the Union Government proposals in public. Mr. Barnala suggested that the Centre could seal the border with Pakistan to restrict the freedom fighters movement from across the border. The Centre, he said, has already taken some measures in this direction and had increased the deployment of border security force. Mr. Barnala who is also Akali Dal President denied that there was any political interference in the functioning of police in the State. However, he said; in a democratic set up there is always room for suggestions and guidance from the people’s representatives to improve its functioning.
Meanwhile, the Centre intends to go ahead with its plan to move a resolution in Rajya Sabha under Article 249 to bring legislation inside Parliament to create a security belt along the Indo Pak border despite opposition from the Akali Dal. The draft of the resolution has already been approved by the Cabinet and it will be moved in the Rajya Sabha after the rectum of Prime Minister from his foreign tour on August 11. The law ministry has already prepared the draft for legislation that will follow the Rajva Sabha resolution. The government plan is to move the resolution and get it approved and to introduce a bill to create a security belt on the same day. The government is aware of the opposition of Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Sugit Singh Barnala, to the move. Mr., Barnala who was in Delhi to meet the Prime Minister retuned without succeeding in his mission as Mr. Gandhi was busy preparing for his foreign tour. Mr. Barnala, however, met Mr. Arun Nehru, Minister of State for Home and conveyed his views.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 8, 1986
