SC refuses to defer SYL case hearing till Punjab poll results

The Supreme Court today reacted sharply and rejected a Punjab government request for posting the hearing on the crucial Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute matter after declaration of assembly poll results on March 11.
"What is the use of courts waiting for election results," a bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy observed after senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Punjab, made the request.
The bench then posted the matter for hearing on February 22.
"Kindly keep it (the matter for hearing) after March 11. The election result will be announced on March 11," Jethmalani had said earlier.

At the outset, Punjab government told the bench that it has not yet filed its response on Haryana's petition seeking compliance of the apex court's earlier order and that it will be filed soon.
Jethmalani said they would also file a rejoinder to the reply filed by the Centre and sought time for it.

The bench, which said that the interim order of status quo will continue till further order, asked Punjab to file the response by February 20.
The apex court had earlier said that decrees passed in the SYL canal dispute between Punjab and Haryana cannot be flouted and directed both states to strictly implement its orders.

It had on November 30 last year directed maintenance of status quo on SYL canal and appointed Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary of Punjab and the Director General of Police, Punjab as court receivers of the lands, works, property and portions of the canal. It had asked them to file a report with regard to the ground situation of the property.
In November last year, the court had thwarted Punjab's attempt to wriggle out of SYL water sharing pact, saying it cannot "unilaterally" terminate it or legislate to "nullify" the verdict of the highest court.