Chandigarh:
Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal raised the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue on Sunday, saying he appeals to the farmers protesting against the new farm laws to include its construction as one of their demands during their talks with the Centre. He said that SYL was a “lifeline” for Haryana farmers and its construction was very important for the peasants of the state and he appeals to those participating in and directly or indirectly supporting the farmers’ protest to include the issue in their list of demands. Dalal, while addressing a press conference in Gurgaon, said in the farmers’ protests near Delhi borders, “(From Haryana), some people, some Khaps, former chief ministers, INLD leaders and some Independent MLAs are supporting the farmers’ agitation.” “Everyone’s emotion is attached with the farmers, everyone says I am with the farmers. Even I say that I am first a farmer, then a minister,” the BJP MLA from Loharu said.
“But the biggest issue for Haryana’s farmers today is water for irrigation. All issues are secondary. In 7-8 south Haryana districts, the situation is such that the water table has gone down alarmingly. In my area Loharu, there is a drinking water problem too in some villages. There is a shortage of irrigation water. When water won’t be there, how will crops grow and if there are no crops who will decide the price?” He appealed to the protesting farmers to include the SYL canal construction issue as one of their demands. “So, I appeal to all those taking part in the stir, directly or indirectly supporting them that in their main demands one line should be added that SYL canal should be constructed in Haryana,” he said.
“When negotiations take place on demands and farmer leaders and representatives of the Centre sit and meet, this demand on SYL too should be kept. This issue has been lingering for 40 years. Even though the Supreme Court has ruled in Haryana’s favour, we are yet to get our rightful share,” he said. Haryana has been seeking the completion of the canal to get its share of 3.5 million acre feet of river waters.
It has asserted that Punjab should comply with the 2002 and 2004 Supreme Court orders for the completion of the SYL canal for its share of the Ravi-Beas waters. When asked when there was the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Haryana why he did not raise the issue with them, Dalal said his comments made on the SYL issue were in his personal capacity and like everyone making various demands he too has the right to make one.
“Like farmers have some demands, some Khaps, INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda too are keeping some demands pertaining to farmers, so I too am saying this in my personal capacity that this one line should be added as SYL is a lifeline of Haryana farmers,” he said. Replying to another question on the SYL issue, he said, “I am not going into what has been done in the past or present, I am only saying that I have a small appeal that one line should be added.” When pointed out how will adding one line by protesting farmers on the SYL issue help when it was the Centre that has to get the canal constructed, he replied, “I am not going into all that. I am saying when there are negotiations being held on farmers issue, this one line should be added, there is no harm…J P Dalal is saying this as a farmer, not as a minister.” Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana have stayed put at various Delhi border points for over a week, protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates. He said that in the next round of talks between the protesting farmers and the Centre he was hopeful that a “solution will be found soon and a decision which is agreeable to farmers will be arrived at”.
Dalal also said that the Modi-led central government and the Khattar-led government in Haryana have taken a number of steps and launched several schemes for the benefit of farmers. PTI
