Water Bill withdrawn as four ministers protest

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14

In the face of opposition from four Cabinet ministers, who represent urban constituencies, the Punjab Water Resources (Management and Regulation) Bill was withdrawn by the government at the last minute. Four other Bills were passed.

The Bill was aimed at regulating the use of groundwater. A Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority was proposed to impose tariff and restrict construction of structures for extraction of groundwater for domestic, commercial and industrial use, except agriculture.

Ministers OP Soni, Navjot Sidhu, Brahm Mohindra and Bharat Bhushan Ashu are learnt to have told Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh that on the lines of the power regulatory authority, the regulatory body on water conservation would not take urban local bodies in the loop.

The Bill was passed during the last Cabinet meeting despite reservations expressed by some ministers. The mandate of the regulatory body would be reworked before it is put up before the Cabinet again.

Differences within the treasury benches came to the fore as the Punjab Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill was presented. Gurdaspur MLA Barinder Singh Pahra confronted Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa for allowing officials to change the reservation roster in his constituency. The Bill includes reservation of 50 per cent seats in urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions for women.

As Pahra strongly took up the issue with the minister, some MLAs backed him, giving fodder to the Akalis to mock Bajwa for not listening to his own MLA. Amid the din, the Bill was passed.

Other Bills passed were the Punjab Regulation of Compounded Cattle Feed, Concentrates and Mineral Mixtures Act, Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance and the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Amendment Bill.

Cong mla takes on tript Bajwa  

Differences within the treasury benches came to the fore as the Punjab Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill was presented. Gurdaspur MLA Barinder Singh Pahra confronted Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa for allowing officials to change the reservation roster in his constituency. The issue pertained to carving out two panchayats of Babbehali village in Gurdaspur. Pahra said despite the decision to create two panchayats, it was again reverted to a single panchayat.

Citing backache, Badal skips session

Muktsar: Citing backache, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal did not attend the winter session of the Assembly. He had informed the Speaker in this regard, even as he visited Lambi and Gidderbaha Assembly segments in Muktsar district on Friday. He had visited his aide Dyal Singh Kolianwali's residence and addressed Akali workers on Wednesday. TNS