By IANS,
Chandigarh : Days after former Punjab chief minister and senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh criticised his own party’s government in neighbouring Haryana for the construction of an “illegal” canal, Congress leaders in Haryana have hit back.
Haryana’s Irrigation Minister Ajay Singh Yadav, taking strong exception to Amarinder Singh’s statement Wednesday that the Hansi-Butana canal was constructed “illegally” and was creating flood havoc in Punjab, said Friday the statement was politically motivated and aimed at getting sympathy of the people of Punjab at the cost of people of Haryana.
He said: “The construction of this canal had been made keeping in view the interest of the people of Haryana as this canal would provide irrigation and potable water facilities to 16 out of Haryana’s 21 districts. The Central Water Commission had also given its clearance for the construction of the canal.”
Accusing Amarinder Singh of getting the Punjab Termination of Water Agreement Act, 2004 passed in Punjab assembly with the help of the Akali Dal, Yadav said Amarinder Singh had no business telling Haryana leaders how they should protect the interests of people of their state.
The minister clarified that no stay had been granted by the Supreme Court regarding construction of the Hansi-Butana canal. “Then how it could be illegal,” he added.
State Congress chief Phool Chand Mullana also criticized Amarinder Singh for blaming Haryana for the recent flooding in Punjab.
Mullana said that Amarinder Singh was trying to score political points in Punjab by blaming Haryana and terming the Hansi-Butana canal “illegal”.
Both Haryana and Punjab have witnessed flooding in nearly a dozen districts since early July following heavy rainfall and subsequent breaches and over-flowing of rivers and canals.
At least 35 people have been killed and over 300,000 acres of agricultural land was submerged in the flooding. Over 2,000 villages in both states were affected.