Chandigarh, Nov 15 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal arrived here today for a meeting with his Haryanacounterpart to discuss air pollution and the issue of stubbleburning that is a major contributory factor.
Kejriwal said in a tweet that he was looking forward tofruitful discussions with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar LalKhattar.
The Delhi chief minister is accompanied by hisenvironment minister and environment secretary.
Kejriwal had earlier said that Khattar had called himto Chandigarh today as he could not meet in Delhi because hewas very busy.
The Delhi chief minister had sought a meeting with hiscounterparts from Haryana and Punjab to find a solution tostubble burning in neighbouring states, a major source of highpollution levels in Delhi.
The practice of burning of crop residue by farmers ofthe two states of Punjab and Haryana has been blamed for thetoxic smog enveloping the region every winter.
Kejriwal recently said the Centre, Haryana, Punjab andDelhi governments should keep political differences aside andcome together to find a permanent solution to stubble burning.
Yesterday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh againruled out a meeting with Kejriwal, asking him not to"politicise" the serious matter.
Singh claimed he failed to understand why the Delhichief minister was trying to force his hand, knowing well thatany such discussion would be "meaningless and futile".
He alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was"trying to divert" public attention from his government's"failure" to check the problem of pollution in Delhi, asexposed in the National Green Tribunal's response tothe "ill-conceived" odd-even scheme.
He also said there was no point in meeting Kejriwal andasserted that stubble burning was an issue to be resolved bythe Centre.
In a letter to Kejriwal on November 10, Khattar hadasked Kejriwal what steps he had taken to end stubbleburning by farmers in areas near the national capital. PTI SUNCHS VSDMIN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.