Chandigarh, Apr 4 (IANS): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia on Thursday condemned the decision to abolish the 60:40 ratio vis-a-vis recruitment of senior medical officers in the Chandigarh Health Department by the Central government.

Reacting to a notice by the Health Department in which the recruitment rules have been changed, Majithia said, “The UT administration has taken upon itself to change the rules for recruitment to deny deputation rights to Punjab government officers in the union territory.”

Terming this decision as discriminatory, Majithia said Chandigarh was carved out from villages of Punjab. Moreover, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a memorandum on November 4, 1966, that all posts in the UT be filled as per 60:40 ratios between Punjab and Haryana respectively.

He said this was done so that the status of Chandigarh as the prospective capital of Punjab was not disturbed keeping in mind that the current administrative arrangements were only of a temporary nature till the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab actually materialised.

Terming the entire move as a deliberate attempt to weaken Punjab’s inalienable right over Chandigarh, Majitha said: “Earlier also an AGMUT cadre was created to transfer all IAS and police officers from the Union territories of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.”

He said now this move had been extended to the Health Department with recruitment rules changed for the recruitment of senior doctors, including the Principal Medical Officer, Medical Superintendent, Senior Medical Officer, District Family Welfare Officer, Dental Surgeon, Planning Officer and Nursing Superintendent.