Sutlej-Yamuna Link issue: Khattar makes offer of dialogue to Mann

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has reached out to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link issue, making an offer of a dialogue “to resolve any hurdle or issue that might come in the way of the construction of SYL canal”.

Haryana’s offer comes notwithstanding Punjab government’s stand that it will not share a single drop of additional water with any other state at any cost. According to an official statement, Khattar, in his October 14 letter, which came in response to Mann’s missive sent earlier, cited a Supreme Court order to say that “a comprehensive order on October 4, explicitly stating that the execution is not related to the allocation of water.” The Supreme Court had on October 4 asked the Centre to survey the portion of land in Punjab which was allocated for the construction of part of the SYL canal in the state and make an estimate of the extent of construction carried out there. All political parties in Punjab asserted that the state does not have a single drop of additional water to share with any other state, though political outfits in Haryana welcomed the apex court directions. No central team will be allowed to survey land for the SYL canal in Punjab, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had said on Saturday.

Khattar’ Monday statement said that Bhagwant Mann had in fact written a letter to him on October 3, a day before the Supreme Court’s decision, requesting a bilateral meeting on the issue. He said that every resident of Haryana is anxiously anticipating a prompt construction of the SYL canal in the Punjab region.

“Also, I am ever willing to do anything whatsoever to realise this long awaited dream of our people and our parched lands in southern Haryana. “I am, therefore, willing to meet you to resolve any hurdle or issue that might come in the way of the construction of SYL canal,” said Khattar.