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Journalism of Courage
Punjab Assembly’s one-day session tomorrow on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal is expected to be a historic one, with the government planning to bring in a Bill or a resolution to somehow escape handing over the canal construction to CPWD, the agency nominated by the Centre, on July 15.
Sources in the government said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was closetted with senior bureaucrats, including Principal Secretary, Irrigation, K.R. Lakhanpal, this evening to take a final decision about the course to be adopted. The Council of Ministers will also meet tomorrow morning, hours before the Assembly session, to give its nod to the course decided by the government.
The government’s line of action is being kept a closely-guarded secret and officials limited themselves to saying that the session will be historic, but were not ready to confirm whether the government has indeed decided to move a Bill aimed at nullifying Punjab’s contractual obligation to construct the canal in its territory as per the 1981 agreement.
One proposal which was seriously considered involved amending the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act 1873 after which the Assembly’s nod will be required for constructing, repairing or maintaining any new canal for taking water beyond Punjab’s boundary.
Sources said the government understood that its last hope lies in acting through the Assembly as the legislature enjoys immunity and cannot be hauled up for contempt of court if it expresses a will not to hand over the canal construction work to the Central agency.
Meanwhile, Independent MLA Jit Mohinder Singh today confirmed he would be taking up in the Assembly tomorrow the issue of a draft Bill about amending the 1873 Act.
