CM differs with PM on linking rivers

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Tohra (Patiala), April 1

Opposing a widely politicised scheme of the BJP-led Union Government, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today ruled out any possibility of interlinking the rivers because it was “practically not feasible, as Punjab does not have a single drop of surplus water”. He said the state was, in fact, water deficit.

On March 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advocated sharing river water in the presence of Badal while addressing a gathering at Hussainiwala on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Modi said, “The linking of rivers is a must for the country so that water reaches all. Punjab has got a network of canals, but the fields at the tail end of this network do not get enough water. Linking rivers is a must to provide water to all.”

Badal said he had already impressed upon the Centre to implement the time-tested “Punjab model” of land acquisition and also demanded better compensation for crop loss.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the 11th death anniversary of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, he said Punjab had already constructed dams over the Sutlej, Beas and the Ravi. There was hardly any river that was untapped. He said, “Our state is already water deficit and the interlinking of rivers in the state is a distant reality.”

On SAD support to the Land Acquisition Bill, he said, “We have already impressed upon the Centre to implement the Punjab model of land acquisition, which has been successfully implemented in the state for many years. We have asked the Centre to make farmers’ prior consent mandatory for land acquisition, besides giving them 30 per cent as compensation allowance for displacement and rehabilitation by allotting residential and commercial property through land-pooling scheme, as is done in Punjab,” he said. Major chunks of land were acquired by the state government for mega projects such as the Mohali international airport, thermal plants at Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo at the prevailing market price with the farmers’ consents without any fuss, he said.

On adequate Central compensation for crop loss due to rain and hailstorm across the state, he said the norms of the Union Government in that regard were too meagre since the Congress regime, “now we have requested the NDA government to revise these norms suitably to make good the losses suffered by farmers”.

Badal said they had already demanded a crop insurance scheme so that the entire damage caused to their crops could be compensated for. “The Centre was paying Rs 3,600 per acre as compensation to the farmers and the state was giving Rs 1,400 from its own resources to make it Rs 5,000 per acre,” he said.

Paying tribute to Tohra, he said his life taught people how to serve the country with utmost zeal and dedication. Replying to a query, he said the issue of Khalistan was never discussed between him and Tohra.

Prominent among others who paid tribute to Tohra were Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, Patiala SAD (rural) president Deepinder Dhillon and others.

Says Barnala worked for grabbing power
Continuing with statements against former CM Surjit Singh Barnala, Badal said while great leaders like Tohra were fighting tooth and nail against the tyranny of then Congress government at the Centre, Barnala aptly used that opportunity for grabbing power