Haryana had been getting its full share of water even in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 when the water level of the dam was quite low, said Saini.”Haryana never sought more than its share. BBMB, which is an independent body, has decided Haryana’s quota, but the Mann government has refused to agree with it. This is not just injustice with Haryana, but a direct attack on India’s federal structure by the Mann government,” Saini said.In a federal system, every state has the responsibility to respect the interests of neighbouring states, but this attitude of the Mann government is setting a “bad example”, he said.”If Mann’s government remains adamant, then under the provisions in our Constitution, we will protect our rights. But we want to say that our path is not of confrontation, but of cooperation. We appeal to the Mann government that it should adopt the path of love and brotherhood with Haryana,” he said.Haryana wants to move shoulder-to-shoulder with Punjab, but for this, they also have to understand the pain of their neighbour.”To protect our country’s federal structure is our collective responsibility,” said Saini.A fresh row had erupted over the issue of water sharing between the two neighbours, with the Punjab government refusing to release more water to the BJP-ruled Haryana.Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had asserted that his government would not allow the release of more water to the neighbouring state, claiming it has already utilised 103 per cent of its allocated share.Mann had said the Punjab government, as a humanitarian gesture, had already generously allotted 4,000 cusecs of water daily to Haryana since April 6.He had also hit out at the BBMB for its decision to release extra water to Haryana, saying such “robbery” of Punjab’s rights will not be tolerated and that the board has no right to “dictate” matters related to his state.The BBMB regulates water distribution from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams.Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are the partnering states that meet their water requirement for different purposes, including irrigation, from Bhakra and Pong dams.
Source link
