During recent North Zone Council meeting presided by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Amritsar, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar raised prime issue of inter-state water disputes over the SYL canal water project. In this meeting Khattar also raised ian ssue as regard Punjab University’s affiliation for colleges in Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar in Haryana state. Khattar also raised the issue of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal project that is meant to connect the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers and pointed fingers at Punjab for creating confusion on this important issue, stressing the issue legal distribution of water between the both states. The Haryana CM said that when we raised the issue of construction of the SYL Canal, Punjab raised the issue that availability of water has reduced, whereas the issue of construction of the SYL canal and quantity of water are two separate issues. According to Haryana CM a large quantity of the water from the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers flow into Pakistan through Punjab and In the past 10 years water for approximately 1.68 million acre feet from Sutlej and 0.58 million acre feet from Ravi and Beas rivers went to the Pakistan thus referring to the necessity the construction of SYL Canal.
Information reveals that the canal once completed the issue of sharing of the waters of the Ravi and Beas between both states long back in 1966 at the time of the reorganisation of Punjab and the formation of Haryana state, however Punjab opposing to sharing the waters of the rivers Ravi and Beas with Haryana. The SYL Canal project met with stiff opposition from the Punjab side ever since then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the construction on April 8, 1982 with a launching ceremony in Patiala. Khattar said that from the Bhakra canal, there is only one carrier channel of 61 km called Nangal Hydel channel which is 68 years old and in case of any unwanted incident Haryana will not get its adequate share of water, when SYL Canal will function as an lifeline for the people in Haryana state, thus stressing the importance of the SYL project. Khattar said, regarding the ongoing water disputes with states Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Haryana has always been in favour of distributing water among the states as per the law. Khattar further said that due to delays in repair works, the sub-station functioning is getting affected. All the states including Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are required to holistically look at Hathnikund barrage as a national project, he added.
As regard affiliation of Haryana’s colleges with Panjab University, Haryana CM Khattar said that colleges in Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts should be provided affiliation as well as the university should also consider giving affiliation to colleges in Punjab’s Ropar and Mohali districts. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Education Policy – 2020 as such Delhi University is constructing its campus in Haryana. He said, Haryana was given its share in Panjab University through The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. On the occasion, Khattar also gave a presentation on Haryana’s achievements in sports and elaborated on how the state government has been honouring the sports persons and motivating them with the best training facilities.
In the meeting, Khattar also highlighted his government’s flagship projects like ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ which not only ensures transparency but also eligible beneficiaries can avail the benefit of the government’s welfare schemes, besides health insurance scheme of ‘Ayushman Yojna’ in the state meant for people who have an annual income up to Rs 3 lakh, launched CHIRAYU scheme in November 2022, to ensure Antyodaya families get the benefit of Ayushman Yojana. Khattar disclosed that till September 20, 2023, Haryana state government had made 56,89,986 new ID cards of beneficiaries under this scheme and as regard PM’s Jan Arogya Yojana Haryana has issued over 85 lakh cards to the beneficiaries so far.
