CHANDIGARH: Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged states to resolve their disputes related to water-sharing with an open mind and discussions. Shah was addressing a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Amritsar. The council members are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh.
Punjab reiterated that the state has no water to spare with other state and hence, instead of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the project should be now conceived as Yamuna Sutlej Link (YSL). The state demanded that Chandigarh (UT) should be handed over to it.
However, Haryana argued that the SYL should be constructed and Haryana colleges should be affiliated to Panjab University. Himachal Pradesh urged an amendment in the norms for providing relief packages for hill states and took up the issue of border disputes involving J&K.
Addressing the 31st meeting of the council, Shah said the government has been successful in cracking down on narcotics and terrorism. “The government is committed to strengthening the security system along the border. Soon, anti-drone system will be deployed on our country’s borders,” he said.
Shah asked all the member states to pay special attention to issues such as cooperation movement in the country, school dropout rates and malnutrition. He urged all member states to adopt natural and organic farming. Shah promised all possible help from the Centre to the Himachal government over flood relief.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Sutlej has already dried up and there is no question of sharing even a single drop of water from it. Mann called the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal a highly “emotional issue” for Punjab.