A day after BJP-led Haryana Government decided to challenge the Termination of Agreements Act passed by the Punjab Assembly in the Supreme Court, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said the State does not have a single drop of excess water for any other State. Badal also sought to resolve the water sharing issue on the basis of riparian principle.
“Punjab does not have even a single drop of excess water for any other State. The issue of riverwater sharing must be resolved through globally accepted riparian principle and no other formula is acceptable to the State,” said Badal while interacting with the media on the sidelines of a function at Basma in Mohali district.
Badal accused the previous Congress-led Government at the Centre of meting out step-motherly treatment to Punjab by denying its legitimate share of river water.“Grave injustice was done to Punjab by denying its share of river water in accordance with the riparian law,” said Badal.
Manohar lal Khattar-led Haryana Government, on Tuesday, announced that it had decided to file a fresh suit in the Apex Court to declare the Termination of Agreements Act passed by the Punjab Assembly null and void.
Haryana Chief Minister had said that his Government would also seek early hearing of Presidential Reference, regarding validity of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, which has been pending for long.
CM Badal envisions Punjab as country’s ‘industrial hub’
Envisioning Punjab as India’s ‘industrial hub’, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said that the state would soon overcome setbacks given by successive Congress Governments at the Centre with SAD-BJP government’s stupendous efforts.
Badal, addressing the gathering after inaugurating unit of Sigma-Feudenberg-NOK (SFN) Oil seals, said that setbacks like partition of country and prolonged militancy in Punjab had derailed State’s industrial development. “However, the backbone of State’s economy was broken by the incentives given by the Congress Government at Centre to the neighboring hilly States. This disastrous move resulted in mass exodus of industry from the State,” he rued.
Badal said that he ever since assuming power in 2007, SAD-BJP Government has accorded top priority to industrial development and brought industrial friendly policies coupled with peaceful environment making Punjab as one of the most preferred investments destinations of the country “a fact that has been even vetted by World Bank and Reserve Bank of India”.
Congratulating SFN owners, Badal said that this joint venture of industrial giants of India, Japan and Germany would give much needed fillip to Punjab’s industrial progress. “Besides giving boost to industrial development, this project would also give employment to local youth,” said Badal while hailing SFN for giving 50 per cent jobs in their unit to women.