Can’t recover SYL land returned to farmers: Punjab to apex court
In an affidavit, state blames Centre for not resolving its water-sharing dispute with Haryana
NEW DELHI: In a defiant stand, the Punjab government has expressed its inability to recover the land meant for the construction of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal that was returned to landowners subsequent to a law passed by the state assembly last year.
In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Punjab government has blamed the Centre for not resolving its water-sharing dispute with Haryana. The Centre, it said, did not take a proactive stand and abdicated its constitutional duty.
The Punjab assembly had on November 16 passed a resolution to return the land acquired for the SYL canal to the farmers. The move followed the SC verdict that held Punjab could not have unilaterally cancelled the agreement to share Ravi-Beas river waters with other states. Haryana had rushed to the apex court challenging the November 16 resolution, which the SC had stayed.
“...the land in question having been already transferred to the landowners in obedience to the resolution of the legislative assembly dated November 16, 2016, the recovery of said land from the land owners is not possible,” read the affidavit filed by the Parkash Singh Badal government.
It advised the Centre to “immediately explore the transfer of Sarda river water to Yamuna under the feasibility report prepared by the National Water Development Agency, a premier agency of the Union ministry of water resources”. A bench headed by justice PC Ghosh will take up the affidavit on Wednesday. The court had on February 16 turned down the Punjab government’s request to hear the SYL Canal dispute after the announcement of results of assembly polls on March 11.
In its latest submission, Punjab has also asked the Centre to speed up the process of interlinking the rivers. “If this plan is executed, there is no need for either the SYL Canal or sharing the RaviBeas water to Haryana,” Punjab contended.
Punjab also said there was no legal or economic compulsion that Yamuna in Haryana should be augmented only by rivers flowing in Punjab.
The Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal issue has the potential of taking Punjab back to square one. There are people already waiting in the wings and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) will ginger them up. CAPTAIN AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab Congress president Political parties and leaders of Punjab and Haryana should refrain from indulging in gimmicks for cheap publicity over the SYL Canal at the expense of peace and stability in the state. PARKASH SINGH BADAL, Punjab chief minister