CHANDIGARH: An early completion of the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal has claimed topmost priority on the political agenda set out by the Chander Shekhar government for itself while Sikh organisations remain unmoved on the issue so far.
Delhi has taken a series of measures to ensure that the canal is made operative before 1991 ends so that the Devi Lal group gets support from the Haryana electorate. This group is at present a component of the Congress I backed government.
Work on the canal was suspended three months ago when militants gunned down two senior engineers and warned others. Most engineers refrained from taking up the job. But the Shekhar administration now has decided to entrust the work to the IndoTibetan Border Force, an Army engineering outfit.
At the same time the central government transferred Governor Virender Verma to Himachal Pradesh and appointed General O.P. Malhotra, a Punjab Hindu, as Punjab Governor to ensure better coordination between the civil administration and the Army. There has been a strong buildup by the Indian Army along IndoPak border initially to check the movement of militants.
Prime Minister Shekhar stated at Chandigarh during his brief visit to the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana recently that the items which formed a part of the RajivLongowal accord and not implemented so far would now be implemented. In other words, the work on the canal project for Haryana would be completed soon. On his part, Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal made a public statement to the effect that the S.Y.L canal would be completed soon. As with his predecessors, Haryana Chief Minister Hukam Singh “rejected” the RajivLongowal accord for the sake of record. At the same time, Hukam said the S.Y.L. canal would soon be ready to deliver water to Haryana.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 21, 1990
