Khattar favours all-party meeting on SYL canal issue

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today favoured an all-party meeting on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue and asked the opposition not to politicise it. The chief minister also said the opposition should not use the issue to derive political gains and as a “ladder to come to power”.

“We must move forward on the canal’s construction rather than politicising the issue. We should have another round of all-party meeting on it to decide the line of action,” he said in the state Assembly’s ongoing Budget Session.

“The Presidential Reference on the SYL canal was pending in the Supreme Court for 12 long years and it was the present state government that strongly pleaded the case in the court and ensured its early hearing,” Khattar said.

He said that because of the efforts of his government, the apex court had given its decision in favour of Haryana.  “Now, the execution order is to be passed by the Supreme Court,” Khattar said, adding “Haryana will not leave even a single drop of its share of water”.

Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala yesterday in Delhi had threatened to launch a ‘jail bharo andolan’ on May 1 if the government failed to start the canal’s construction. Meanwhile, Khattar said the three-and-a-half year old BJP government ensured equitable development, brought transparency in recruitment and curbed corruption.

“A strong message has gone out that now jobs are given only on merit. This government represents 2.5 crore people of Haryana. We believe in Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas,” he said. Khattar said that his government had ensured equitable development.  “Earlier, there was a perception that more development works remained concentrated in regions from where chief ministers came,” he said.

“I have told in my constituency that development works in Karnal will happen in the same manner as in rest of Haryana,” he said. Khattar claimed that out of the 4,500 ‘CM’s’ announcements, work on 3,200 had either been completed or nearing completion. Chautala has sought that a complete record pertaining to these announcements be placed before the House.

Taking a dig at the opposition, Khattar said they even tried to make a big issue when the governor said that some part of his address speech on the opening day of the Assembly be treated as read. “They tried to give a twist to this as well,” he said.