Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday stated the state authorities has been deceptive the farmers and the state on the development of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, bringing again into focus the decades-old contentious challenge of sharing of river waters between Haryana and Punjab.
“The decision (relating to the SYL) has already been given by the Supreme Court in favour of Haryana. It’s the responsibility of the government to implement this decision, ” he instructed IANS in an interplay right here.
Responding to a query on the proposed assembly between the Chief Ministers of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on water sharing on June 5, the two-time chief minister stated: “The BJP has its authorities each within the state and the Centre. Despite this, the choice of the Supreme Court isn’t being applied. Now, to complicate and delay the matter, it’s being stated that the SYL water will come to Haryana through Himachal.
“The question is why the BJP-JJP government is not filing a contempt case in the Supreme Court? Why are they not talking about bringing Haryana’s water through the SYL canal built in Punjab? Why does the coalition government always keep silence on the rights of Haryana, ” Hooda categorically requested Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The Vidhan Sabha final yr handed a decision looking for completion of the SYL canal.
The decision says: “The August House has unanimously on at least seven occasions passed resolutions urging the early completion of the SYL canal.”
Under the availability of Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, in line with the order of the federal government of India dated March 24, 1976, 3.5 million acre ft (MAF) of water was allotted to Haryana out of the excess water of the Ravi-Beas.
Due to non-completion of the SYL canal, Haryana is utilizing only one.62 MAF of water.
In October final, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Khattar had failed to achieve a consensus over the SYL canal challenge.
A vital assembly over the problem was held between the 2 CMs in Chandigarh after the Supreme Court had requested them to fulfill and discover an amicable answer.
Mann had clearly stated that Punjab has no surplus water to share with Haryana. He sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to supply extra water to Haryana both from the Ganga or the Yamuna river basins to beat its scarcity.
Khattar had categorically dominated out that any initiative to carry the subsequent spherical of talks between the Chief Ministers can be taken.
Responding to a different query, Hooda objected to cooperative banks charging curiosity on crop loans from the farmers.
The Leader of Opposition instructed IANS that throughout the Congress tenure, the curiosity was decreased to zero whereas giving reduction to farmers on crop loans.
“The burden on the farmers was borne by the government itself and no interest was charged from the farmers, but the present government did not renew this scheme of interest relief. Because of this, banks started collecting interest from the farmers.”
He stated the BJP-JJP (Jannayak Janta Party) authorities ought to renew the scheme applied by the Congress immediately.
“The farmers from whom interest has been recovered so far should be refunded and it should be ensured that such recovery will not happen to any farmer in future.”
He instructed IANS the federal government has not taken a single choice within the curiosity of the farmers until date.
“Sunflower farmers are ready for MSP (minimal help value), however the authorities is speaking of Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana. Farmers are dealing with a lack of Rs 1, 500 to Rs 2, 500 per quintal. The authorities is operating away from its accountability of giving the MSP to them.
“One by one, crops with the MSP are also being linked to such Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, which does not benefit the farmers.”
Under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, the federal government pays a hard and fast compensation in opposition to the produce offered beneath the MSP.
Hooda stated the federal government can also be deceptive the farmers concerning the compensation for crops as a consequence of unseasonal rains.
“Farmers have been waiting for compensation for the last several seasons. The government starts patting itself on the back by distributing compensation only on paper. A total of 17 lakh acres of crops were damaged due to rains but the government registered damage in hardly 3 lakh acres.”
“However, there is a big doubt on this figure as well, because thousands of farmers are saying that they got very less compensation, compared to the damage and countless farmers were completely deprived of it, ” he added.