Hitting back at his Punjab counterpart Prakash Singh Badal for his statement that he would not allow to give even a single drop of SYl water to Haryana and refuse to accept Supreme Court’s verdict, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Thursday said such acts should not be done in federal system.
“Ours being a federal system, the decision of Supreme Court should be accepted by rising above politics,” said the Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons after the Supreme Court’s verdict on Sutlej Yamuna link canal in Haryana’s favour.
Amid the political turmoil in Punjab over the SYl canal, the Chief Minister also asked the political parties in Punjab to respect the decision of the SC on the SYl issue and not to give political colour to the issue in view of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State.
Reacting on the reports of resignation submitted by Congress leaders of Punjab protesting against the Court’s decision, Manohar lal said that as the assembly elections are approaching in Punjab, the political parties are trying to give political colour to the issue of SYl which should not be done.
When asked to comment on the bitterness between his BJP’s Government with its alliance partner SAD in Punjab over the issue and the BJP led Centre made responsible for getting construct the SYl canal, the Chief Minister said that this is not the question of BJP-ruled State but it is a matter of distribution of water between the States.
He said that Punjab and Rajasthan were already getting their share of water from Ravi-Beas waters but Haryana was deprived off its legitimate share of water. But after this decision, we would get 3.5 million acre feet (MAF) of water as our share, he said.
On being asked about the possibility of any tension which might be erupted following the judgment of the Supreme Court, he said that neither there is any such situation nor we would allow disruption of peace in the State.
About the next course of action following SC’s decision, the Chief Minister said now after this decision, the issue would again go to the President. The President would nullify the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and thereafter, this judgment would be implemented, said Manohar lal.
Earlier, hailing the decision of the Apex Court on the Presidential Reference on SYl canal, the Chief Minister said that the decision paves the way for bringing state’s legitimate share of 3.5 million acre feet (MAF) from surplus Ravi Beas waters to its parched lands through SYl.
He said the State Government fast tracked the hearing on Presidential reference which had been pending in the SC for the last 12 years.
The Chief Minister added the State Government is committed to bring Haryana’s share of surplus Ravi-Beas waters for dry-arid regions of southern Haryana. Once water starts flowing in SYl, it will ensure more equitable distribution of water in the Haryana, he said.
“The Supreme Court has held the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 as unconstitutional and has decided all the issues of the Presidential Reference in favour of Haryana,” said he.
These issues included whether the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 and the provision thereof are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India, whether the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act 2004 and the provisions thereof are in accordance with the provisions of section 14 of Inter-State Water Disputes Act 1956, whether the State of Punjab is discharged from its obligations flowing from the judgement and decree dated January 1,2002 and judgement and order dated June 4,2004 of the Supreme Court of India among other issues.