INLD leader criticises Mann' remark on waters

Fatehabad, Aug 21 (UNI) Senior Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Sampat Singh today took strong exception to Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Simaranjit Singh Mann's remarks that Haryana had no right to waters of canals flowing in Punjab.

Mr Mann had yesterday said that under the riparian laws Haryana could not be given a drop of waters for the SYL canal.

Mr Sampat Singh, while talking to media persons here, said Mr Mann perhaps did not know that the rights of Haryana accrued under the Succession Act and not under the riparian laws.

He said the right to unrestricted use of waters of Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers by India, which came under the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan after payment of 62.06 million pound sterling (then Rs 110 crore) was not for Punjab alone as the money was paid by the Union government and not by the Punjab government.

He said at the time of signing of the Indus Water Treaty, waters of Sutlej were to be utilised for the execution of the Bhakhra Nangal Multipurpose Project while surplus flows of Ravi and Beas over and above the pre-partition use were to be allocated between the concerned states.

Under this Punjab got 7.2 MAF, Rajasthan 8 MAF and J&K 0.65 MAF, he added.

He said that even the Eradi panel recommended 3.83 MAF for Haryana and 5 MAF for Punjab. The waters had increased by then from 7.2 MAF to 8.83 MAF, the Eradi panel had found.

The INLD leader said that Mr Mann's statement gave an impression that he had little knowledge of facts and even the laws governing distribution of waters between various states.

UNI