Chandigarh, 11 November: INLD MP, Dushyant Chautala, today written a letter to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and demanded to ensure completion of remaining part of Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal at the earliest putting giving claims of a recent Supreme Court judgment. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Dushyant claimed that the Supreme Court of India in 2002 had decided the SYL issue in favour of Haryana and had even directed the centre to ensure completion of remaining part of canal lying in Punjab.
“To overcome the Supreme Court decision, the Punjab Vidhansabha in 2004 had terminated the water sharing agreements involving other states. The matter was then referred to Supreme Court as a Presidential Reference. But now, in May this year, a constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India, R.M. Lodha, while quashing a law enacted by Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2006, had ruled that Assembly had no power to enact laws to nullify judicial verdicts based on facts and findings,” stated Dushyant in the letter.
The letter further states that this bench also held that under pretence of power, legislature cannot neutralize the effect of the judgment given after ascertainment of fact by means of evidence materials placed by parties to the dispute. Notably, Kerala Assembly had enacted this law to nullify Supreme Court verdict allowing Tamil Nadu to store more water in Mullaperiyan dam across Periyar River.
“So after the recent verdict of the Supreme Court in this case, its amply clear that the termination of water agreements by way of the law by the Punjab Assembly in 2004 was invalid and unconstitutional. In light of this, I urge you to ensure completion of remaining SYL canal at the earliest so that the farmers of the state of Haryana get their due share pending since long,” Dushyant urged the Prime Minister.
While giving more claims to take decision at the earliest, the INLD MP stated that Haryana is an agriculture state but a large part of the state of Haryana is still un-irrigated. The share of canal irrigation to total irrigation is around 40% whereas tube wells irrigation is not reliable and sustainable. “It is this background that SYL canal has been described as the lifeline of the state. I urge you to take a decision in this regard in order to provide relief to the lakhs of farmers of the state. If SYL completes, economy of Haryana would bet an unprecedented boost,” said Dushyant in the letter.