Cong claim on returning SYL land contrary to facts

CHANDIGARH: The contention of Punjab CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi, about having urged Vidhan Sabha speaker through an adjournment motion that the land acquired for the SYL canal be returned to the original owners, is contrary to facts.

In the March 8 notice of adjournment motion under rule 59 (HT has the copy), which the Vidhan Sabha secretariat had received at 10am, Channi has not at all, directly or otherwise, stated that the SYL land should be returned to the original owners. The one- page notice in English reads: “I request that the business of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha session to be taken up on 10.03.2016 be adjourned to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance of recent occurrence, namely the SYL canal issue and the stand taken by the Centre in the Supreme Court on the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004.” Also in the explanatory memoranda, Channi didn’t state what he has been now claiming after chief minister Parkash Singh Badal moved the resolution in the assembly last week.

On Monday, the bill for restoring the land was passed. The day Badal moved the resolution, the Congress had stalled the proceedings for about three hours over speaker’s rejecting the adjournment motion.

Outside the House on Monday, Congress leaders claimed that “the government hijacked our agenda” on de-notifying the SYL land.