M A I N   N E W S

Chautala, MPs meet PM on SYL 
Say give work to central agency
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 14
A delegation of Haryana MPs and representatives of political parties led by state Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala today urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to expeditiously construct the Punjab portion of the SYL canal through its own agency in pursuance of the judgement of the Supreme Court so that Haryana could draw full quantity of water that has been allotted to it.

The MPs and leaders of the Indian National Lok Dal, BJP and Haryana Vikas Party met the Prime Minister at his residence for about 20 minutes. Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Minister of State in the PMO Vijay Goel were also present at the meeting.

“We sought our right and hope to get justice,’’ Mr Chautala said after the meeting.

Mr Chautala handed over to the Prime Minister a copy of the resolution adopted at the all-party meeting. He also gave the Prime Minister a letter which said his government had been requesting the Punjab Government to implement the directions of the Supreme Court and complete and make the Punjab portion of the SYL canal within one year of the judgement of January 15, 2002. “Now the time limit given to the state of Punjab by the Supreme Court is over. It is, therefore, requested that the work of this project may be handed over by the Union Government to its own agency/agencies and the Punjab portion of the SYL canal is completed and made functional at the earliest as directed by the Supreme Court,” the letter said.

The delegation comprised Minister of State for Home I D Swami, HVP leader Bansi Lal, youth INLD chief Ajay Singh Chautala and BJP MP R.L. Kataria among others.

Earlier, in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister said as the deadline set by the Supreme Court for completion of the canal by Punjab would be over today the responsibility for construction of the canal would now fall upon the Central Government as per the court order.