Chandigarh: A day after Punjab held an all-party meet on the escalating row over rivers water share and unanimously decided against sparing water for Haryana, all the political parties of Haryana on Saturday joined hands to condemn Punjab government for what they held as its ``unconstitutional’ actions.
It may be recalled that a row has erupted between Punjab and Haryana over the said issue since early this week, after Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) decided to release more water to Haryana despite Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s strong objections to it. Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government refused to release extra water, claiming that Haryana had already exhausted 103% of its annual allocated share of water.
Briefing newspersons after the all-party meeting on Saturday, Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini said that all the political parties slammed the Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann for being confrontational rather than cooperative and unanimously decided to secure Haryana’s share of water.
Saini said that the parties also unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Punjab government’s action as ``unconstitutional''. He held that Haryana has yet not decided on convening an assembly session, though a decision in this context could be taken after the Punjab’s special session which is scheduled for May 5.
Besides chief minister Saini, the meeting was attended by senior leaders of ruling BJP, including state president Mohan Lal Badoli, ministers Anil Vij and Shruti Choudhary, Congress leaders including state president Udai Bhan, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD’s) state chief Rampal Majra, Jannayak Janta Party’s (JJP’s) leader and former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) state president Satish Gupta.
PUNJAB SKIPS BBMB MEET OVER WATER ROW
Meanwhile, Punjab skipped the meeting convened by the Bhakra Beas Management Board on Saturday, a day after the BBMB advised it to release water to Haryana for the next eight days for its urgent requirements.
The Punjab government which said it was preoccupied with the preparation for the special assembly session on May 5 on the issue (of water share dispute), also held that a seven-day notice is mandatory before convening a BBMB meeting as per its rules.
RELEASE WATER TO HARYANA, CENTRE ADVISES PUNJAB
It may be recalled that the Centre which had on Friday advised Punjab to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water from the Bhakra dam to Haryana for the next eight days to meets its urgent water requirements, had also held that the BBMB will provide this excess water to Punjab during the filling period of dams to fulfil any additional requirements.
The meeting was attended by top officials of the BBMB partner states – Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan – as well as the BBMB officials.
