Jalandhar, August 20 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced that when the party forms the next government in Punjab in 2027, it would terminate all River water sharing agreements, including the allocation of 8 MAF of water which constituted 50 per cent of the Ravi-Beas waters in the State, to Rajasthan.
The SAD president was addressing the media after former District Planning Committee Chairman as well as former President of the Jalandhar Urban unit of the party -Gurcharan Singh Channi rejoined the party at a function here. He said Mr Channi’s re-induction into SAD would strengthen the party in the city as well as Doaba region.
Speaking about the recent floods and how they had ravaged the State, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal said “when there is flooding, we lose lives and our crops and households. But when there is need for water the same is diverted to Rajasthan and Haryana. This is a great injustice which we will not tolerate. Immediately on formation of the next SAD government we will terminate all water sharing agreements and ensure our farmers can benefit from our precious water resource as they suffer its wrath also in times of plenty”.
Asserting that Punjab had an inalienable right over the River waters flowing across it; Mr Sukhbir Badal said “the Riparian Principle also makes this clear”. He also disclosed how previous Congress governments had robbed the State of its waters by allocating 8 MAF out of 15.85 MAF Ravi-Beas waters to Rajasthan despite the fact that it was a non-Riparian State”. He said this injustice was compounded by making a provision in Section 78 of the Punjab Reorganization Act for distribution of water and power pertaining to Bhakra and Beas projects by agreement between Punjab and Haryana or failing which by the central government.
Mr Badal said the SAD had fought a relentless battle to thwart the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and had even achieved success in this. “Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal even succeeded in getting the Punjab Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal Land Bill,2016 approved in the Vidhan Sabha following which all land acquired for construction of the SYL canal was returned to farmers”.
Asserting that the SAD would now take this fight further, Mr Badal said “we are convinced that all water sharing agreements were unfairly thrust onto Punjab by successive Congress governments and are against the laws of natural justice and deserve to be terminated. We are seeking legal counsel and will move in this direction once we form the next government in the State”.
Mr Badal also condemned chief minister Bhagwant Mann for willfully allowing the submergence of vast tracts of land in Punjab by failing to act on the BBMB’s advice to take due cautions before opening of the flood gates of the Bhakra dam three days back. “I was informed by the BBMB authorities that they had advised the Punjab government to take cautionary measures four days before opening of the flood gates”.
The SAD president also condemned the chief minister for failing to release any compensation to flood hit farmers. He said girdwaris had not started in many districts and farmers who had gone in for re-transplantation of paddy would now become ineligible for compensation. He also condemned the chief minister for making false promises.
“Mr Bhagwant Mann promised farmers that they would be compensated for even loss of livestock like goats and hens but has not released a single paisa till now”. He said farmers were now also being promised a compensation of Rs 6,800 per acre for complete crop loss even though AAP had promised to compensate farmers at the rate of Rs 25,000 per acre for crop loss.
Senior leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Gurpartap Singh wadla & Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi was also present on the occasion.
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