Now Punjab doubly accountable on SYL canal issue, says Haryana CM

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday opened front against the newly-formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the long-standing Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal logjam

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday opened front against the newly-formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the long-standing Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal logjam.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann with his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar, governor Bandaru Dattatreya and others during a ’Holi Milan Samaroh’ at Haryana Raj Bhawan, in Chandigarh, on Thursday. (PTI)

“Now the Punjab government will have to act with double responsibility on the SYL issue as we have to get water from Punjab and give water to Delhi. In such a situation, the responsibility of Punjab to provide water for SYL becomes more because now, both Punjab and Delhi are being ruled by the AAP,” Khattar said, addressing a news conference in Chandigarh.

The Haryana and Punjab governments have held numerous rounds of meetings on direction of the Supreme Court to hammer out a solution and implement the apex court’s January 2002, and June 2004 judgments to complete the remaining portion of the SYL canal in Punjab.

On the political prospects of AAP in Haryana, Khattar said he is keenly looking at what future holds for the AAP government in Punjab in view of the mounting debt and grim financial situation of the border state.

Khattar said the AAP government of Delhi cannot compare itself with Haryana. He said the AAP government in Delhi runs 1,100 government schools while there are about 15,000 government schools in Haryana. “Delhi cannot be compared to Haryana, but Haryana can definitely be compared to Punjab,” he said.

‘CMGGA not liked to any organisation’

Khattar said the two dozen odd Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates (CMGGAs) working in different districts of Haryana on a one-year contract have nothing to do with any political organisation.

The chief minister touched this issue in the backdrop of Congress in the last sitting of the Vidhan Sabha asking if the CMGGAs have RSS background. Khattar said he can appoint anyone, who is capable, as his advisor.