CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana will get 16 acres of land in Union Territory of Chandigarh for construction of their offices and residential houses for their employees.

A decision to this effect has been taken by Chandigarh Administration. Both the states would get eight acres of land each. While five acres each would be given to Punjab and Haryana in colony no 5 for housing, three acres of land would be given to each one of them in sector-38 (west) for new offices.

It may be mentioned here that Punjab and Haryana governments have been pressing the UT Administration for a long time for allotment of land for construction of additional offices and residential accommodation for their staff members. UT Administration has so far been taking the plea that it has no land to spare for the two state governments, who should construct their offices in their neighboring districts of Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana.

But the change of heart seems to have come after intervention by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil. The administration has decided to ignore a demand from its own employees for construction of residential accommodation for them in Chandigarh. Instead, it would approach the governments of both the states to allot land in Mohali and Panchkula for building houses for UT employees.