To resolve the decades old contentious issue of Satluj-Yamuna link (SYl) canal with the neighbouring State of Haryana, Congress-led Punjab Government is all set to take a tough stand on the issue before the Supreme Court in its next hearing on March 28.
Reiterating its stand that it has no water to spare, the Government is working on a “strategy”.
State Irrigation Minister Rana Gurjit Singh has once again met State Advocate-General Atul Nanda on Monday to discuss the issue and State’s expected stand on the next date of hearing.
Besides chalking out the legal solution to the controversial issue, the Government is also finding other way outs.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to discuss the SYl issue, among many other important issues.
Capt Amarinder has already made clear his intention of resolving this issue, once and for all, while maintaining that the State would try to convince the Apex Court in the matter, while at the same time, blaming the previous SAD-BJP regime for its failure to plead the State’s case effectively before the Supreme Court.
“Punjab has no water…the water table is receding…Yamuna was not taken into consideration…the change of circumstance is a ground…and keeping all this in view, we are formulating a strategy,” said Punjab AG Atul Nanda on Monday.
Besides, he said that the State Government is also contemplating “approaching various authorities…central authorities”, while refusing to make any “elaborate” statement on the issue as the Chief Minister himself would make a statement to that effect.
Rebutting the media reports based on court’s “verbal observations” regarding construction of SYl, Nanda argued that the Supreme Court, so far, has not given its final word on the issue.
On the very first day, Irrigation Minister Rana Gurjit made it clear that the Congress Government is “greatly concerned” over the contentious SYl canal issue.
“Our priority is to focus on developing a well-planned strategy on SYl to safeguard the State’s water rights,” he had stated after assuming the charge of his office while blaming the SAD-BJP government to fight a strong legal battle on SYl.