Chandigarh under Article 240: No bill this Winter Session; what the change would mean

NEW DELHI: The ministry of home affairs, issuing a clarification over the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, said on Sunday that the central government has "no intention" of introducing the Bill in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. The ministry said the intent behind the legislation is to "simplify the Central Government’s law-making process" for the Union Territory of Chandigarh and that the Bill is "still under consideration with the Central Government". The Bill reportedly aims to bring the Union Territory of Chandigarh under the ambit of Article 240 of the Constitution, a provision that empowers the president to issue regulations and legislate directly for certain Union territories. "The proposal only to simplify the Central Government’s law-making process for the Unio