Centre moves apex court on water row

Political parties in haryana at loggerheads

The Centre on Thursday filed an application before the Supreme Court seeking fresh directions on the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal in the wake of the controversy arising from Punjab's unilateral decision to scrap its agreements with neighbouring states on sharing of river water.

The application was filed by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in the vexed SYL canal case in which the apex court had directed the Centre to take over the construction of the Punjab portion of the canal after noting the state government's continued reluctance to do the same.

The application said fresh directions were required in the case as the Punjab government's decision to enact the controversial law had rendered the completion of the SYL canal, as directed by the court on 4 June, difficult.

The move indicates that the Centre, rather than attempting to handle the issue politically, has instead opted to take the legal route.

There are, however, some legal issues involved as well. Soon after the Centre asked the central public works department to take up the construction work of the canal, the Punjab government, which had already approached the Supreme Court seeking review of its 4 June order, took the hard-line stand and enacted the law erasing its previous agreements with neighbouring states on sharing of river water.

The court on 4 June had ordered the Centre to immediately take up construction of the Punjab portion of the canal rejecting the Amrinder Singh government's plea for review of an earlier apex court directive for completion of the canal.

The Centre's move leaves it to the court to decide how the Punjab Assembly's decision should be interpreted. Sources in the government noted that except the CPI, all other political parties had supported the move.

By contrast, a fight broke out in Haryana among political parties, with each viewing the SYL canal issue as a stick to beat the other with. While Haryana Chief Minister OP Chautala said Union ministers from Haryana, Selja and Rao Inderjit, "should quit" if they failed to get the Supreme Court order on the issue implemented, senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda blamed Chautala of having delayed the canal construction because of "political interests".

He also said Chautala, whose party INLD was till recently a partner in the NDA, "had never put pressure on the previous BJP-led coalition at the Centre urging it to construct the canal's portion in Punjab as per the earlier SC directive".

Asked to clarify the Congress stand on annulling of all water-sharing accords with neighbouring states by Punjab, he said: "we know the SYL water is crucial for our state and whatever means we may have to employ, we will ensure Haryana gets its due share".

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal-led Haryana Vikas Party, meanwhile, said it would hold demonstrations on July 19 at district headquarters across the state to oppose Punjab's decision.

While terming the move by Punjab "unjust and unwarranted," HVP general secretary Rajiv Jain accused the INLD of having little concern for the welfare of the people of the state.

"If Chautala wants support of the Opposition then he should at least talk to the party leaders and seek their cooperation," he said.Fearing that Punjab might do to Himachal Pradesh, what it has done to Haryana, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said he would alert his government to ensure Punjab was not allowed to unilaterally abrogate its water-sharing agreements with the state.

"Himachal Pradesh also has some agreements with Punjab like the Shah Nahar agreement and Shanan power project and the government would take suitable measures, if the Punjab Bill affected the interests of the state in any manner," he said in Shimla after a Delhi visit to meet the Prime Minister.