Punjab, Haryana Ministers Meet President Over Sutlej-Yamuna Issue

Both Punjab and Haryana governments have been at loggerheads over sharing of Sutlej-Yamuna river water.

A delegation led by Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal meeting President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, 28 November 2016. (Photo: PTI)

Involved in a political slugfest over the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal, politicians of both Punjab and Haryana on Monday took the issue to President Pranab Mukherjee’s doorstep and aired their respective claims over the sharing of Sutlej-Yamuna river water.

The move follows a Supreme Court verdict on 10 November on a Presidential reference to declare the Punjab Termination of Water Agreements Act, 2004, as unconstitutional.

The Haryana government, which is seeking river water from Punjab through the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, has since approached the apex court.

The Punjab Council of Ministers led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today (Monday) submitted a memorandum to the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to apprise him of the SYL canal issue and not to accept any advice that militates against the basic riparian principle relevant to distribution of river waters

Spokesman, Punjab CM Sukhbir Singh Badal’s Office

Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana along with the committee members meeting President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday, 28 November 2016. (Photo: PTI)

‘Haryana Should Get Its Rightful Share’

On the other hand, an all-party delegation from Haryana led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar met Mukherjee on Monday evening.

“The President assured to sympathetically consider Haryana's appeal for implementation of the Supreme Court decision in the SYL canal case,” a Haryana government spokesman said.

“Haryana should get its due share of (river) water. The state is asking for its rightful share and not Punjab's share,” Khattar told the media after the meeting.

“While both states had been allotted equal share of 3.5 million acre feet (MAF) water under the water-sharing agreement, Haryana was getting only 1.62 MAF. Since 1981, Punjab has been utilising 1.88 MAF water that rightfully belongs to Haryana. The Supreme Court has already dismissed the law passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to terminate the (water-sharing) agreements,” Khattar said.

(With inputs from IANS)