New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed that the Central government has postponed several important issues related to Punjab, including sharing of river waters, sharing of rights with neighbouring states and restructuring of Panjab University.
This claim was made by Chief Minister Mann a day after he attended the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Faridabad.
“After I raised the issues of Punjab and demanded maintenance of the status quo, the Centre has postponed all 11 issues related to Punjab. No one will be allowed to take away the rights of Punjab,” Mann told reporters at a press conference.
He said that he strongly opposed all the claims by neighbouring states to take away Punjab’s rights and appealed to the Home Minister not to allow them to be taken away. To address the water shortage for irrigation in North India, the Chief Minister proposed that after scrapping the Indus Water Treaty, 24 MAF of Chenab river water be diverted to Punjab, which can be used for irrigation in all the northern states.
He also proposed renaming the SYL canal as YSL (Yamuna-Sutlej Link) canal, through which Yamuna water should be diverted to Punjab. River water agreements should be reviewed after every 25 years as neighbouring states have made a mockery of the water issue and Punjab is suffering due to their demands.
The current reconstitution of the Panjab University Senate and Syndicate proposed by the Centre has been postponed. Mann demanded that the Senate elections be held early as students are facing hardship.
The Chief Minister claimed that Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have no say in the Bhakra Beas Management Board as the board was formed after the reorganisation of the state.
On Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's link to stubble burning, Mann claimed that Punjab's image was being unnecessarily tarnished. He said that Delhi's pollution was not the result of stubble burning in Punjab as there was a delay in paddy harvesting there. Mann also stressed on the need to desilt the Pong Dam and appealed to the neighbouring states and the Centre to share the burden.