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Assembly urges Centre to get SYL verdict implemented

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 21. The Haryana Vidhan Sabha today unanimously passed a resolution urging the Prime Minister and the Centre to get the Supreme Court verdict on the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal implemented and take all steps to get the remaining portion of the canal completed in Punjab territory at the earliest possible.

Moving the resolution, the Chief Minister, Om Parkash Chautala, appealed to all political parties to rise above petty politics and make their significant contribution in the implementation of the directions of the Supreme Court. He made it clear that he was not eager to get credit and said that it was high time all should join hands to ensure the early completion of the canal so that the parched tracts of Haryana get irrigation water.

Mr. Chautala said he had come to know that the Centre had taken steps to constitute an Empowered Committee to coordinate and facilitate the early implementation of the decree within four weeks, as directed by the Supreme Court. The Haryana Government had already urged in writing that besides the Cabinet Secretary, senior officers of the Government should also be nominated to the committee.

Striking a political note, he charged that the Congress leaders had not illuminated their houses after the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict. He appealed to the Punjab Government to gracefully accept the verdict and extend its cooperation for early completion of the canal in an amicable atmosphere. He said that three lakh hectares of land would be irrigated once the canal becomes functional. Also, the State would have an additional agricultural production valued at over Rs.1000 crores per year and it would also help in integral development of the State. At present the precious water was flowing waste to Pakistan due to the non-completion of the canal, he added.

The Punjab Government had been trying to create hurdles in the way of an early completion of the SYL canal, but it was high time to remain conscious so that the issue might not be dragged into any controversy. It was a matter of construction of canal and not of distribution of water as the share of water had already been allocated. Therefore, he urged the MLAs not to issue any statement that might hurt anyone at this juncture.

However, the proceedings of the specially- convened daylong session were marred when the Congress MLAs staged a walk-out after the Speaker, Satbir Singh Kadian, named the officiating Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Ajay Singh Yadav, for "unruly behaviour''.

The Congress members pleaded that Captain Yadav be called back. Interestingly, the BJP and HVP MLAs also made a similar plea and appealed that the member should be "recalled'' as it may send wrong signals to the outside world when discussion on the SYL is taking place.

Earlier, acrimonious scenes were witnessed when Captain Yadav demanded that the adjournment and call attention motions moved by the Congress MLAs be admitted and the session extended for at least a week.

The Speaker disallowed the adjournment and call-attention motions. Senior Congress legislator Mange Ram Gupta said that the party's resolution on the SYL canal had been turned down by the Speaker on "technical grounds". He disclosed that the Congress MLAs would be meeting the Governor to apprise him how the "voice of opposition was being gagged.''

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