Haryana government to press for execution of SC's order on completion of SYL canal

With the Supreme Court ruling in favour of Haryana in the water sharing dispute, the Khattar government will now press for the execution of the apex court order passed in 2002 and 2004 for the completion of SYL canal.

"We will now press for the execution of decree passed by the SC in favour of Haryana in 2002 and 2004 whereby the SYL canal be constructed," Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan said on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court held the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, as "unconstitutional" which passed by Punjab government to terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states.

Haryana AG said that the execution petition was already pending with the Supreme Court, adding it was expected to be listed within a month.

When asked whether the SC ruling was an opinion, not binding in nature, Mahajan said the apex court has declared Punjab's legislation as "invalid and unconstitutional".

"President had asked for the opinion of SC whether the Act was valid or not. Now it is irrelevant whether President gives his assent or not when the SC has said that the Act was invalid," said Haryana AG.

On Saturday, Punjab Advocate General Ashok Aggarwal had said that SC had just given its advice and President may accept it or may not accept it.

When asked that Punjab was exploring options to bring a new Bill to scrap all water sharing pacts, Mahajan opined that the SC had declared that no state could pass such an Act.

"If another law is brought (by Punjab) then it will be not more than a 'dikhawa' (show off)," he said.

Mahajan asserted that any act passed by the Centre or state could be examined by the apex court to check its legality.

The Supreme Court had in its verdict in year 2002 and 2004 had ordered the completion of SYL canal for sharing of Ravi Beas water.

The apex court had first decreed the suit of Haryana in 2002 asking Punjab to honour its commitments with regard to water sharing in the case.

Punjab challenged the verdict by filing an original suit which was rejected in 2004 by the Supreme Court which asked the Centre to take over the remaining infrastructural work of the SYL canal project.

But in 2004, the Congress government in Punjab led by the then Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had enacted a law to annual the water sharing pacts with neighbouring states.

Thereafter, then President A P J Abdul Kalam referred to SC for an advisory opinion on the issue relating to the Punjab's Act.