‘Moral victory for Punjab’: CM Mann after HC seeks response from Centre, Haryana over water row
Punjab claims Haryana has already used 103% of its allocated water by March, while Haryana opposition leaders allege Punjab has capped supply at 4,000 cusecs.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday hailed the orders issued by the Punjab and Haryana high court in the ongoing issue of the release of additional water by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to Haryana as a moral victory.
The high court on Wednesday sought a response from the Centre, the Haryana government and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on a plea from the Punjab government, seeking recall of a May 6 order that directed the state to allow the release of additional 4,500 cusecs of water to neighbouring Haryana from the Bhakra dam.
After the hearing on Wednesday, former advocate general and senior advocate Gurminder Singh, who appeared for Punjab, said, “The court has issued notice for May 20.”
Addressing a gathering here, Mann said that the court has sought a reply from all the stakeholders on May 20.
“On May 21 the fresh cycle for water sharing will start and Haryana will start getting its share,” Mann said, during a function here on Wednesday.
The BBMB determines the annual water quotas for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan in a yearly cycle from May 21 to May 21. Punjab claims Haryana has already used 103% of its allocated water by March, while Haryana opposition leaders allege Punjab has capped supply at 4,000 cusecs.
Mann said that this is a huge win for the state. “We have been able to defend our share of water despite all the pressure exerted by the Centre, Haryana and BBMB,” the CM said.
Slamming the Union minister for state Ravneet Singh Bittu, Mann said that the rejected leader was spitting venom against him to appease his political bosses.
“Though the Union minister hails from Ludhiana, he has done nothing substantial for the development of the city. Bittu wakes up in the morning and starts criticising me to make his party bosses happy,” Mann said.
Bittu was quick to respond and in a post on social media stated: “Bhagwant Mann ji, Do you remember, or should I remind you? You might have forgotten after drinking so much alcohol which years you lost elections in, from which parties, and from which constituencies. Just look to your left and right to see which parties your MLAs have come from.”
