With Punjab and Haryana Government failing to resolve the long pending issue of Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal, the Central Government has now decided to prepare a roadmap within 45 days to settle various inter-State issues between the two neighboring states. Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti on Wednesday assured Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal that the Centre will prepare a roadmap within 45 days for finding a solution to Sutlej Yamuna link Canal (SYl) and other inter-state issues with Punjab.
The Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana would also soon meet to resolve the long pending issue of SYl canal and other inter-state issues in Chandigarh. During the meeting with the Union Minister in New Delhi, the Chief Minister urged her to get the hearing done early through the Attorney General on the Presidential Reference to the Supreme Court on the SYl issue which has been pending for the last ten years. With the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966, dispute over various issues, including river waters, have time and again erupted between Punjab and Haryana.
The State Government had recently announced to approach the Supreme Court seeking implementation of its two judgments that would pave the way for completion of the SYl canal so that Haryana gets its full share of surplus water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. Though the contentious issue of SYl canal had remained unresolved over the years, the issue has cost the Haryana Government Rs 24.92 crore from 2001 to February 28, 2015 for defending the interstate cases on behalf of the state in various Courts.
Manohar lal also raised various issues concerning the state with the Union Minister on Wednesday. Referring to the demand of Delhi for more water, the Chief Minister said that Haryana has no additional water to offer. Other states should also join in meeting the needs of Delhi. The other link of Ravi-Beas should be constructed soon to stop the excess water from going to Pakistan, so that the availability of water could be increased in all states of the country. The work on three new bridges on Yamuna should be started, he suggested. Assuring the state of resolving various issues, Uma Bharti said that since there is BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, BJP Government in Haryana and BJP shares power in Punjab, such problems can easily be solved in a friendly manner.