CAPT DEMANDS FRESH TRIBUNAL ON RIVER WATER SHARING
Saturday, 15/06/2019
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CHANDIGARH: Expressing concern over the water crisis in Northern India, Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday sought the Prime Minister’s support for upgrading his state’s water distribution infrastructure, while calling for a fresh river waters tribunal to address the disputes among neighbouring states.
The CM in his speech circulated at the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting which he could not attend owing to indisposition, suggested a fresh water rivers tribunal to resolve water-related tensions among states. He has also called upon the Prime Minister to provide a one-time debt-waiver to mitigate the distress of indebted farmers.
He urged the Centre to increase the annual assistance under PM-KISAN from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000, and to also include farm workers in its sweep. He also thanked the NITI Aayog for acknowledging the state’s initiative, ‘Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’.
Another significant issue raised by the CM related to assistance for proper development of Punjab’s border areas, which, he said, was a national responsibility.
Amarinder regretted that the Centre had not taken any step in response to state’s special package demand for border areas.
