Hooda blames Devi Lal for delay in SYL canal

Chandigarh, Sep 20 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today put the entire blame for the delay in the construction of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal on former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal and the BJP leadership in the state.

Mr Devi Lal and BJP leader Mangal Sen had resigned from the state assembly to oppose the construction of this canal and had launched the so-called 'Nayay Yudha'.

Mr Hooda made these observations while intervening during a discussion on the Haryana Appropriation Bill, 2006, which was passed by the Vidhan Sabha later.

The Chief Minister described the SYL canal as the life-line of Haryana and said that both the Rajiv-Longowal Accord and the Indira Gandhi Award had favoured the state with regard to the SYL canal.

The decision of the Supreme Court of India was also based on these two Awards, he pointed out.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said Haryana had repeatedly been allocated a share in the Ravi Beas waters through various accords and awards.

Even the Eradi Tribunal had allocated 3.85 MAF of water to Haryana but Mr Devi Lal showed black flags to the Eradi Tribunal and asked it to go back in the same tone in which the Simon Commission was asked to leave India during the British rule.

UNI MA SHB VV1935