Ahead of SC hearing on SYL, Capt meets Union Minister

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 2

On the eve of Supreme Court hearing on the SYL issue, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today called on Union Jalshakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Although the Union Ministry and the Punjab Government were evasive on the contentious SYL issue, sources said the issue figured during the meeting between the two leaders.

The meeting assumes significance in the context that the mediation by the ministry at the instance of the apex court to help arrive at an amicable solution to the issue before the next date of hearing on September 3 came to naught.

The ministry had convened two joint meetings of the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, but failed to break the logjam as both sides continued with their tough adversarial position.

With the states continuing with their respective positions, the ministry gave up on exercise of mediation, and left the two to battle it in the court.

After the meeting, Capt Amarinder declined to comment on the SYL issue, saying the matter was sub judice. He also said the matter did not figure in the meeting with Shekhawat. He said he apprised the minister of the ravages caused by the floods in the state, which was not in a position to bear the losses, year after year. One of the remedial measures suggested by him was de-silting and creation of water reservoirs.

“It is now up to the ministry to find ways and means to avert such crisis in the future,” said the CM.