"If you want to disturb Punjab...": LoP Pratap Singh Bajwa on Sutlej-Yamuna Link dispute
Oct 08, 2023
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], October 8 : Days after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the Punjab government for not taking steps for the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said they will not allow the land acquisition nor will let the canal be constructed.
Speaking to ANI, Bajwa said, "We will not support the SYL land survey at all. Neither will we allow the land acquisition for SYL nor will we let the SYL be constructed. We don't have even a drop of water".
Bajwa stressed that any disturbance in the sensitive state of Punjab will have a bearing on the stability of the international border. (Punjab shares its border with Pakistan).
"If you want to disturb Punjab, you have to understand that you are disturbing international borders. It is a very sensitive state. Every single day, our Punjabis sacrifice their lives for the security of this nation. Let us not play foul with it....," he added.
Directing the Centre to look into the mediation process over the SYL canal dispute, the Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Punjab government over its approach to the issue.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that the bordering state will have to change its attitude according to the directions of the top court.
The problem stems from the controversial 1981 water-sharing agreement after Haryana was formed out of Punjab in 1966. For effective allocation of water, the SYL canal was to be constructed and the two states were required to construct their portions within their territories.
While Haryana constructed its portion of the canal, after the initial phase, Punjab stopped the work, leading to multiple cases.
In 2004, the Punjab government had passed a law unilaterally cancelling the SYL agreement and other such pacts, however, in 2016, the apex court had struck down this law. Later, Punjab went ahead and returned the acquired land--on which the canal was to be constructed--to the landowners.
