The Hindu Business Line : Punjab issue: PM calls CMs for meet on water dispute

THE Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday told the Parliament that he had invited the Chief Ministers of States affected for a meeting to resolve the imbroglio that rose due to Punjab's decision to pass a legislation terminating water-sharing agreements with its neighbouring States.

Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha over the issue which rocked the Houses, Dr Singh said he shared the members' concerns and called for a "lasting solution" to resolve the crisis.

"I have invited the Chief Ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan to find an amicable solution to the problem," Dr Singh told the House.

Meanwhile, both Haryana and Rajasthan have announced that they would take legal recourse to the Punjab Government's action, claiming that the decision was in contravention of the Supreme Court's directions on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal project.

The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed a Bill terminating the Ravi and Beas river water sharing treaties with the neighbouring states. The State Government claims that the move was on the basis of a legal advice to protect the State's interests in the light of the Supreme Court judgement on the canal.

Rajasthan forms all-party panel: Deeply concerned over the Punjab Government unilaterally annulling all inter-state agreements with Rajasthan and Haryana on the sharing of Ravi-Beas waters, the Rajasthan Chief Minister,Ms Vasundhara Raje, today formed an all-party committee to chalk out the future strategy for a ``legal and political battle'' to safeguard the State's share of water, reports UNI.

The Chief Minister announced the setting up of the committee in the Assembly, which was adjourned thrice today on the water dispute. Initially, the House was adjourned for half an hour as the agitated members, including the treasury bench, raised slogans against the Punjab Government decision.

Meanwhile, Ms Raje also talked to the Prime Minister, Dr Singh, on telephone over the water issue, but did not share the contents of the talk in the House.

Earlier in the day, the State cabinet decided to move the Supreme Court and to approach the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister to see that no injustice was meted out to the State.

`Bill a ploy to delay SYL': The Haryana Congress today said passing of the Bill by Punjab Assembly terminating all water sharing agreements on Ravi and Beas rivers was an ``unconstitutional act'' and a ``ploy'' to further delay the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, says a PTI report.

Demanding a special session of Haryana Assembly to discuss the situation, the Congress Legislature Party leader, Mr Ajay Yadav, told presspersons in Chandigarh ``such an unconstitutional act on the part of Punjab Assembly would lead to breakdown of constitutional machinery.''

Mr Yadav and the party General Secretary, Mr Mange Ram Gupta, alleged Punjab was ``encroaching'' on powers of other States and the Bill was a ``ploy to delay the process of construction of SYL canal''.

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