SYL: Haryana, Punjab CMs to meet today

Chandigarh, December 27

Haryana and Punjab are set to have another round of talks on the contentious SYL canal issues here tomorrow.

To be presided over by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the meeting will be attended by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann besides senior officers of the Central, Punjab and Haryana Governments.

This will be the first bilateral meeting between Haryana and Punjab after the Supreme Court order on October 4 which said it had already been settled that the execution (of decree to complete the construction of canal) does not deal with the allocation of water. After the apex court order, Khattar, in a communication to his Punjab counterpart in October, had expressed willingness to have “bilateral dialogue” to resolve the issue.

A bilateral meeting between the two states was held on October 14, 2022. The Union Jal Shakti Minister then conducted a second round of discussions on January 4, 2023.