Capt Amarinder raps Akali-BJP govt for failure to protect Punjab interests
Saturday, 24/09/2011
http://my.amarindersingh.in/capt-amarinder-raps-akali-bjp-govt-for-failure-to-protect-punjab-interests
CHANDIGARH, September 23: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today blamed the Akali-BJP government in the state for its failure to protect the Punjab’s interests in the Supreme Court of India on the issue of the construction of the concrete wall on the bank of Hansi-Butana Canal along the river Ghaggar by Haryana.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Punjab government’s application seeking to restrain Haryana from undertaking the construction of the wall, Capt Amarinder said, it was quite unfortunate that the Punjab government could not plead the state’s case properly that ultimately led to the dismissal.
“The state messed up the matter from the day one by adopting a wrong course apparently with an intent to exploit the issue for political gains”, he observed, while pointing out, instead of treating the issue separately it got it clubbed with the Hansi-Butana canal.
The former Chief Minister also criticised the dubious role played by the Central Water Commission on the issue which had changed its stand from what it had concluded in 2006. He said, the state could not even point out the variance in the CWC stand on the issue between 2006 and now. Expressing surprise as why the state failed to put up a strong case in the Apex Court, he said, it was a colossal failure of the Akali-BJP government that it could not present simple facts in the court effectively to get relief. He said, even the state could not raise the issue of the construction of siphons which Haryana government was supposed to make but has failed to do.
He observed, it did not require any engineering knowledge but simple common sense to note that the wall would pose danger of floods. He pointed out, the canal runs from West to East while Ghaggar and the Patiala Nadi flow from North to South. The construction of canal itself has led to the blockade of the water from these two rivers and now a concrete toe wall will further block the water that will ultimately flood Punjab, he added.
