Mohali :
Independent councillor from Ward No. 10, Paramjit Singh Kahlon, has alleged that the BJP-led Central Government is following the policies of previous Congress-led governments regarding Punjab’s river waters.
Speaking to reporters, Kahlon alleged that Punjab’s water was earlier diverted to Rajasthan under Congress-led governments and that Haryana was subsequently given a share in the Sutlej and Beas waters after the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966.
Kahlon further alleged that the Centre had reduced Punjab’s authority over the Bhakra Beas Management Board and that Punjab had now been excluded from the agreement related to the Kishau Multipurpose Project for the distribution of Yamuna waters.
He said the Centre is expected to bear 90 per cent of the project’s cost, while Punjab has not been included among the states and Union Territory covered under the agreement. According to Kahlon, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi have been included.
Kahlon criticised the Punjab Government over what he described as silence on the issue and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party leadership was allowing Punjab’s water interests to be compromised.
He urged the Centre to reconsider the agreement and appealed to political parties in Punjab to raise the issue and oppose what he termed an injustice to the state.
