M A I L B A G

Non-issue becomes an issue: misconceptions about Ravi water

AFTER reading Mr S.P. Malhotra's letter (Sept. 9), I think that inaccuracies along with the correct position need to be brought out. The factual position is that no waters were purchased by the Government of India. As per the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 executed between India and Pakistan under the aegis of the World Bank, India became exclusively entitled to the waters of the three eastern rivers of Sutlej, Beas and Ravi. Pakistan was allocated waters of the three western rivers of Chenab, Jhelum and Sind (of course allowing the existing use of these waters by Jammu and Kashmir in India). The Treaty became effective in 1970. Pakistan, which was using some water from canals of the Ravi river was allowed a period of 10 years to construct replacement works for utilisation of water from the western rivers. Under the Treaty, India paid Rs 100 crore to Pakistan (in foreign exchange) for the construction of replacement works.

The Indus Water Treaty is a treaty between two sovereign countries — India and Pakistan — and it, in no way, takes away the riparian rights of their constituent states. It is a travesty of truth to say that the rights to any waters were purchased by the Government of India. Waters of a river are not purchased like a commodity. A river is a free bounty of nature, even according to the international law. The existing lower riparian rights are, however, protected.

As regards the “Ravi-Beas surplus waters”, it is the quantum of water over and above the pre-partition utilisation. In a mean year, it has been assessed to be 15.85 MAF (million acre feet), utilisation being 3.13 MAF. There is nothing such as purchased water and it would be totally erroneous to name “surplus waters” as purchased waters.

Punjab’s riparian rights are not, in any manner, extinguished or curtailed by the Indus Water Treaty.

G.R. KALRA, Chief Engineer (retd), Punjab, Chandigarh

S.S. GILL, Ludhiana

PMET experience

I appeared for the Punjab MET held on July 21. I got 468 marks out of 800, that is 58 per cent The PMET prospectus clearly mentioned that those securing 50 per cent and above will be eligible for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses. However, after a few days, a schedule for counselling appeared in The Tribune, which showed that they had changed the eligibility criteria for the BAMS/ BHMS without thinking about the students' career.

When I reported at Faridkot for counselling, they did not even bother to register myself in the waiting list for the BDS. I was made ineligible for the BAMS just because in the admission form I had filled BDS as a preferred course. They made a mockery of the whole system. It is taken as understood that if a person does not get admission in the course of his/her choice, he/she must be considered for admission to the subsequent course.

It was a real harassing experience visiting Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot. No committee member came to our rescue. I requested them to register my name in the waiting list for the BDS, but all in vain.

MANU KAUSHAL, Chandigarh

Why new MCs? THE Chautala government has decided to constitute municipal corporations in certain towns of the state. Recently, the state government amended the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, by reducing the population of a town required for constituting a municipal corporation from five lakh to three lakh, thus paving the way to create new municipal corporations in certain towns. The state has only one Municipal Corporation in Faridabad, which was constituted way back in 1994. The rest of the towns have municipal committees or councils depending upon their population. Ironically, on the one hand the state government had abolished 29 municipal committees, and on the other the government has now decided to upgrade the municipal bodies of certain towns. It is difficult to understand the contrary stands of the state government. Whatever may be the status of a urban local body, the main thrust of the government should be on creating more resources for them. After the abolition of octroi, the situation of municipalities has worsened. The state government should first initiate efforts to make the municipal bodies self-reliant. Instead of eyeing on grants extended by the government, the municipal bodies should be able to generate resources on their own and discharge their duties as enshrined in 12th Schedule of the Constitution. Thus the issue of creating new municipal corporations should be kept in abeyance at least for the time being. HEMANT KUMAR, Ambala city

Prof RAJAN KAPOOR, Nakodar