Gherao teams that come for SYL land survey: Akali Dal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 5

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today appealed to people to gherao Central teams which will conduct a survey of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal land in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, senior SAD leader Bikram Majithia said the SAD was ready for any sacrifice but would not allow the SYL canal to come up in Punjab.

He also asked the AAP-led government and the state unit of the BJP to clarify their stand on the proposed survey. He called upon state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar to ask the Centre to desist from conducting any survey to identify land for the canal.

Asserting that there was no need to conduct any survey, Majithia said: “Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had returned more than 4,500 acres of land acquired for the SYL canal to 21,000 owners free of cost. We have no water to give to any other state as 109 of 128 blocks are turning into dark zones due to severe depletion of groundwater in the state.”

Majithia alleged that CM Bhagwant Mann had launched a sinister conspiracy and deliberately weakened Punjab’s case on the SYL canal issue in the Supreme Court.

“Besides, taking the Advocate General’s resignation on a day when the state needed to defend its case resolutely, the government also agreed that it did not have any objection to construction of the SYL canal,” the SAD leader alleged.

“It is on record that the government blamed the Opposition and former CM Parkash Singh Badal for the return of the land on which the canal stood as the reason for its inability to construct the canal,” he added.

He also accused the government of releasing excess water to Rajasthan to improve AAP’s political fortunes in forthcoming Assembly elections in the state. “This proves that the Chief Minister is ready to surrender Punjab’s river waters to neighbouring states,” he said.

Convene all-party meeting: SAD(S)

• Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) leader Justice (retd) Nirmal Singh accused the government of mishandling the state’s case in the SYL issue in the Supreme Court
• The SAD(S) leader urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to convene an all-party meeting to address the critical matter
• The government should apprise the Supreme Court of the challenges concerning land availability for constructing canal, he said

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#Bikram Majithia #Shiromani Akali Dal #Sutlej Yamuna Link canal SYL