A day after the Union Government held a meeting with the Haryana and Punjab Governments in an effort to resolve the long- pending Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal issue between the two neighbouring States, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Friday said that the decision of the Supreme Court on the SYl canal and sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters should be implemented.
The Chief Minister while talking to the mediaperons said that Haryana had presented its case regarding the issue at a high-level meeting, a day back at New Delhi.
Besides, memoranda have been submitted to the President Pranab Mukherjee, and the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, pressing the state’s demand for its rightful share of the state in river waters which had been settled long back under an agreement, said he.
He added, “Haryana should get its rightful share in the river waters”.
Union Secretary, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry, Amarjit Singh had held a meeting with Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi on the SYl issue in New Delhi on Thursday.
Earlier, Amarjit Singh had also met senior officials of Punjab Government to discuss the controversial SYl issue.
During the meeting, Haryana Government had urged the Central Government to get the incomplete part of the SYl canal constructed at the earliest and also, ensure implementation of the final verdict of the SC in this regard.
Two main issues were highlighted by the Haryana Government at the meeting including the verdicts delivered by the Supreme Court in January, 2002 and June, 2004, and the verdict on the Presidential Reference delivered on November 10, 2016 in Haryana’s favour.
Following this meeting, the Chief Minister had said that there is no use of holding talks outside the Court on the SYl issue. He had also said that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprized in Bhubaneswar about the entire SYl issue”.
Punjab and Haryana have been at loggerheads over the SYl canal issue. The Supreme Court in a verdict last November had held as unconstitutional, the 2004 law passed by Punjab to terminate the SYl canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring States.
Haryana has been seeking the construction of the canal for getting a share of the Ravi-Beas waters.