New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) Claiming Punjab has no extra water to share with any state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh “are unnecessarily mounting pressure on the state for snatching its rights”.
The Chief Minister said that at the meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC), all member states had put forth their views. However, he said, ironically majority of the states, comprising Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, were hell bent upon infringing the rights of Punjab.
“It’s unfortunate that Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are unnecessarily mounting pressure on the state for snatching our rights.” The Chief Minister told the media here that irresponsible leadership of these states have made a mockery of the platform by making unjust demands, seeking a share in the resources of the state and even river waters.
He said in the meeting all member states put forth their views, and as the head of the state, he also presented the case of Punjab. Mann said that out of the total 28 agenda items, 11 were related to the state and for the first time, due to the efforts of the government, all of them were deferred. The Chief Minister said these issues were basically thorns sown by his predecessors — the Akalis, the BJP and the Congress — before Punjab and its people. However, he said his government has been making efforts to resolve these issues.
Mann said those who are making hue and cry over river waters must understand one thing that the real-time assessment of the availability of river waters should be made, for which the presence of water must be reviewed. The CM said paradoxically, every other state is seeking a share in the rights of Punjab, which is illegitimate. He categorically said the government is duty-bound to safeguard the interests of Punjab and no stone will be left unturned for it.
The Chief Minister said Haryana has made a strange demand that Punjab should refrain from constructing mini-hydro projects on the Bhakra Main Line (BML) as it will hamper the flow of water. He said it was surprising that the naive leadership of Haryana was indulging in such tantrums, which were baseless and far from facts.
The issues of Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) can be resolved only through Yamuna Satluj Link (YSL), which will ensure judicious use of the Yamuna water, Mann said, adding the state has no surplus water to spare through the SYL, and there has been no scientific calculation regarding the availability of water.
The Chief Minister categorically said Punjab has no extra water to share with any state, and there is no question about it. In the wake of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, he said there is a great opportunity for the resolution of water-related issues concerning the states being represented here. Mann said there is a possibility of linking the Chenab river to the Ravi and Beas rivers, over which “we already have dams regulating the water flow downstream”.
The Chief Minister said that linking the Chenab river with the Ravi and Beas, the surplus water inflow could be utilised gainfully by the downstream states, including Punjab, for both power generation and irrigation purposes, adding the extra water will also help Punjab to meet its shortfall of water, particularly in border areas.
On the issue of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Mann said he forcefully opposed the proposal to appoint a whole-time member in the BBMB from Rajasthan as the board is a body constituted under the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, which concerns only the successor states — Punjab and Haryana.
He said Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are already represented as ex officio members, and creating additional whole-time posts will only increase expenditure, most of which is borne by Punjab without serving any useful purpose.
–IANS
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