Chandigarh- The revived Shiromani Akali Dal President Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh today visited the flood-affected areas of Ferozepur district and Harike Pattan. On this occasion, Giani Harpreet Singh said that the time has come to uproot the policy of deception and fraud on the distribution of water.
Giani Harpreet Singh said that at different times the central governments have cheated Punjab on the issue of water. Giani Harpreet Singh said that now the time has come when all Punjabis should come together and raise their voice to recover the price of water given to other states.
Punjab is a riparian state, due to which Punjab has suffered the most damage from the flood so far. Other states increase their income from their natural resources, so Punjab also has the right to charge the appropriate price for the water given to Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. The recovered price of water will increase the state's budget and this money can be used to strengthen dams, strengthen embankments and increase the area under canal irrigation.
In this way, while on the one hand, natural damage due to floods can be avoided, the state's income will increase and the groundwater will be protected from pollution and going into the dark zone. Giani Harpreet Singh, referring to the agreement signed between Himachal Pradesh and Delhi government in the year 2023, said that if the Delhi government can buy water from Himachal Pradesh at a price, then why is Punjab's water being looted for free.
Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said that the price of water should not only be reviewed from the time of PEPSU till now, but the price of water should be recovered in the future. He criticized the Haryana government and said that today when Punjab is in a difficult situation, Haryana has clearly refused to take water through Bhakra, proving that the loss of Dobe drought has come only to Punjab.
While visiting the flood-affected areas today, Giani Harpreet Singh sent ration materials to these areas and also visited the relief camps run by the workers of Shiromani Akali Dal. Giani Harpreet Singh again instructed the workers of Shiromani Akali Dal to be ready for all kinds of help.
Along with this, Giani Harpreet Singh raised questions about the fact that the Central and Punjab governments have not released even a single rupee as a relief package despite such huge losses. Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said that the state government has completely failed, Punjabis have come forward to help the affected families according to their nature.
Giani Harpreet Singh said that the central government has not removed the alienated gaze towards Punjab from the beginning. Giani Harpreet Singh said that it is not possible that the central government does not have any report on the latest situation in Punjab, but the silence of the central government in this difficult time is definitely giving pain to the Punjabis.
During the visit to the flood affected areas, Giani Harpreet Singh was accompanied by Barjinder Singh Brar, Ajaypal Singh Brar, Davinder Singh Sekhon, Kulbir Singh Matta, Amaninder Singh Bani Brar, Gagandeep Singh Sandhu and Manpreet Singh Bholuwala.