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Journalism of Courage
The Punjab government is set to bring in a Bill to escape the handover of the SYL canal to a Central government agency, and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will meet former Attorney General Soli J. Sorabjee in this context tomorrow.
Sources said Principal Secretary (Irrigation) K.R. Lakhanpal is also expected to participate in the meeting to discuss the draft being finalised with Sorabjee’s help.
Though tied down with political problems since the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries was put on hold, the CM is expected to keep his date with Sorabjee.
Lakhanpal himself remained unavailable, and his office did not return calls.
The proposed Bill is aimed at wriggling out of a contractual obligation that Punjab took upon itself after signing an agreement with two other states and the Centre on December 31, 1981.
Government officials tackling the fallout of the Supreme Court’s June 4 judgement on the SYL directing Punjab to hand over the canal construction work in its territory to Haryana, are of the view that it hinges on this obligation imposed by the 1981 agreement.
As per the 1981 pact, signed by then PM Indira Gandhi, Punjab CM Darbara Singh, Rajasthan CM Shiv Charan Mathur and Haryana CM Bhajan Lal, the suits filed in the apex court by Haryana and Punjab were to be withdrawn. Both did withdraw the suits, resulting in digging of the SYL canal.
