Chandigarh: A meeting between Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann held on Friday to find a solution to the ticklish SYL issue ended without any conclusion. Both sides said that there was no consensus on the issue and they were firm on their earlier stand on the canal waters. Addressing the media after the meeting, Manohar Lal Khattar said that as directed by the Supreme Court, the meeting was held with the Punjab Chief Minister but both states reached no consensus on the construction of the SYL canal.
The Supreme Court has asked for the construction of SYL, with which Punjab has disagreed. The construction of SYL is the lifeline for Haryana, said the chief minister adding that now he will be holding a meeting with the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to brief him about this meeting.
The Chief Minister said that earlier also a tribunal was formed to resolve the water issue, after that a new tribunal of three judges was again formed and as per the tribunal's decision, the construction of SYL is necessary. He said that apart from SYL, some other key issues were discussed with the Punjab Chief Minister. A committee of officials of the irrigation department of both states has been formed to clean the Ghaggar River.
Punjab government on the other hand, said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has fulfilled the duty of being the son of soil by standing firmly to protect Punjab's water.
Punjab Agriculture and Panchayats Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said in a press statement issued here on Friday that CM Bhagwant Mann's firm stand in protecting Punjab's waters with facts had left the opposition speechless. He told that today those parties advising our government had clandestinely laid the foundation of this canal for their vested political interests.