CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has suggested three alternatives on its territorial dispute with Punjab stating that reference of the dispute to Mr. Justice Venkatramia would be rendered un-workable as its jurisdiction was circumcised by the terms of the reference. In a statement filed before the commission headed by Justice CH. Venkatramia, Haryana has urged Punjab to accept four villages in-exchange of Khandu Khera in Muktsar tehsil to enable the transfer of 105 villages and two towns of Abohar & FaziIka to Haryana, Haryana has stated that in the interest of Justice to both states, Punjab should agree that the transfer of other.
Hindi speaking areas of Punjab has been shelved by the terms of reference to Venkatramia Commission will be full and final settlement of all mutual territorial claims by the respective states so that no further commission under Para 7.2 of the Punjab Accord would be appointed, As an alternative, Haryana has also suggested the principle of contiguity should be relaxed so that all the contiguous Hindi speaking, villages of Punjab, the contiguity of which was broken by a village or two but are Hindi speaking will be transferred in lieu of Chandigarh, Significantly Haryana has not filed a claim on Aims village of Abhor and Fazilka so far before Vankatramja Commission. Haryana has stated that incase Punjab declines to any of the three proposals the result would be that reference would be un-workable. It has further stated that reference has to be amended. To implement it in accordance with the term. Haryana has told the commission that since it will be bound by the term of reference and the clause 7.2 of the Punjab Accord wide which it was to decide the areas to be transferred in lieu of Chandigarh which will be embarked upon or adjudicate upon or discharge any of the functions of the commission to be appointed under section 7.4 of the Punjab Accord for the re-adjustment of the Punjab Harayana boundaries Haryana has contended that other Hindi-speaking areas which the Venkatramia commission has been asked to decide were in fact under the jurisdiction of the commission to be appointed under section clause 7.4 Haryana has also stated that if the report of the Mathew Commission which upheld the Haryana claim to eighty three villages of in Abohar and Fozilka was not binding on the commission, it was contended that commission was not right in interpreting the word contiguity. In that case 105 villages and two towns would have been transferred to Haryana. Haryana has asked for clarification on the polite raised by it.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 23, 1986
