The Punjab government has put forward its request for the establishment of a United States Consulate in Chandigarh. In a letter addressed to the External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, the Governor of Punjab, Banwari Lal Purohit, highlighted the increasing demand from the people of the state as the basis for this request.

"The Governor mentioned that Punjabis are adventurous people who travel all over the world. They also form a sizeable segment of the Indian diaspora in the US. This makes a good case for a US Consulate in Chandigarh which is the nerve centre of Punjabi culture," the Governor’s office said in a statement.

In the letter, the Governor highlighted that the demand for an additional consulate in India is being backed by influential Congressmen in the United States. The letter also pointed out the existing disparity in the number of consulates between India and the United States. While India has five consulates in the United States, the U.S. currently has only four consulates in India.

"If a US Consulate is opened in Chandigarh, it will serve purposes to touch social, economic and cultural dimensions of the State," the Governor said in his letter, urging the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with the relevant authorities in the United States.