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The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said that his government will ensure that Sutlej Yamuna Link canal will never become a reality and that Punjab will always be protected. He also reiterated that the state currently has no water to share with anybody else.
This was said by Mann, the day after Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini made headlines after saying that Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue is a very important one for the state and claimed the Punjab government has shown no movement on the issue for years. For years, water sharing between the two states along with construction of the canal to distribute water from the Ravi and Beas rivers has been a point of conflict between the two states.
The project included the construction of a canal with a total length of 122 km in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana. Haryana has constructed the canal within its boundaries, while Punjab which started the construction in 1982, stopped all work on the project. After inaugurating a newly built SDM complex here on Saturday, Mann said, ”There is no question of sharing even a single drop of water with anyone.” In response to his claims, he said that in his opinion there needs to be a re-evaluation of the water standards set for the state, so that it meets international standards.
Furthermore, several weeks ago, Mann had asked the Ravi Beas Tribunal to help the people of Punjab through efficient water resource management. The Punjab chief minister said that since most of the river resources have dried up, the state requires additional water for irrigation and the groundwater situation in the state is very grim. Responding to the queries of journalists regarding Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu visiting Mann’s official residence a couple of days back, the chief minister claimed that these rejected politicians will not see the light of day post elections.
According to Mann, “Bittu's dreams to occupy the official residence of the chief minister with all these tantrums are of no use as this is the house of the people who elect and send leaders here. Every sane person is aware of his dubious character and will never elect him.” On 19th February, Bittu had appeared at Mann’s official residence to discuss the issue of law suits filed against two of his close aides. To this question regarding the deportation of illegal immigrants from India into Canada, the chief minister of Punjab said, “It is an eye opener for all of us.”
Claiming that ‘foreigners’ do not need to come to America for jobs, Mann explained that “more than 51,000 youngsters have secured employment in the government sector in Punjab.” He repeated the government’s promise to aid deportees from the US which is often used as a PR strategy. Mann offered his condolences to the relatives of road safety police force constable Harshveer Singh, who passed away in the line of duty some time back. In this instance, Mann presented a financial package of 1 crore rupees that he had promised during his last visit.
