Standing firm on Punjab's water scarcity stance, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday declared that he will participate in the meeting convened by the Union Water Resources Minister regarding the contentious Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue on December 28. Emphasizing that Punjab has not even a single drop of spare water to share with other states, Mann asserted that he will staunchly present the state's case before the Union government during the meeting, in which Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar would also participate.
In a resolute statement, Mann affirmed his commitment to firmly convey Punjab's water constraints in the upcoming meeting. “Punjab has no spare water to share with any other state, and this will be conveyed forcefully in the meeting,” he said while talking with the media on the sidelines of his surprise visit to inspect the government offices by conducting checks at local Tehsil complex.
Mann, known for his no-nonsense approach, expressed that he is not afraid of anyone and is prepared to solidly present the state's case before the Union Government.
The Chief Minister clarified that neither did he request the survey of the SYL nor was he involved in the groundbreaking ceremony of the canal with a silver spade. Consequently, he asserted that he would vehemently plead for the state’s interests in the upcoming meeting.
Taking a jab at those who had initiated these actions, Mann remarked that they had evaded a debate on November 1, insinuating their involvement in what he termed “sinister moves” against the state.
Mann, continuing the surprise inspection of government offices for another day, inspected the Tehsil complex in the evening and checked various offices in the complex besides interacting with the people. He asked the people about the problems, if any, being faced by them to ensure its immediate resolution without any delay.
Without bothering about his security, the Chief Minister also met the people zealously and enquired about their well-being. Overwhelmed people also took selfies with the Chief Minister during the inspection and thanked him for doing excellent work for public welfare.
Meanwhile, during interaction with the staff in the offices, the Chief Minister exhorted them to serve the people with missionary zeal, while asking them to use their pen for helping the needy and underprivileged sections of society.
He said that God has given them immense power and they should ensure maximum welfare of the public so that every section of society is benefited from it. He also asked the DC and SSP to set up their camp offices in the Tehsil complex to resolve the issues of people.
