Amarinder says assembly decision irreversible

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he cannot restore the river water-sharing pact with three neighbouring states that was scrapped by a unanimous vote in the state assembly earlier this week.

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The Punjab Assembly had on Monday annulled all its water sharing agreements with Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. This followed a Supreme Court directive to the Union government to take over the construction of the Satluj-Yamuna Link canal.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Amarinder said he did not consult Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or party president Sonia Gandhi before moving the resolution in the House.

The Punjab chief minister said there is a need to set up a new commission to settle the issue of river water sharing between the four states.

He denied that Punjab has plans to block water flowing into Haryana and Rajasthan. "This is only a misinformation campaign," Amarinder said.

He said Punjab's problem is only with Haryana over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link since it is a surplus basin-state while Punjab has been a deficit-basin state.

Asked about his meeting with the prime minister Tuesday evening, he said: "The prime minister has to take a decision in
larger perspective and I am not aware of his thinking on this issue."

Meanwhile, the Punjab government on Wednesday sought the advice of the Union Water Resources Ministry on handing over the canal area to the Centre. The SC order says the handover must take place by July 15.