CHANDIGARH: The Punjab chief Minister Beant Singh said here on Monday that he would be Satisfied if the state was allowed to use the river waters it was using 8 on July 11-985 as a lasting Solution to the river waters dispute Talking to newsmen here he Pointed out that Rajasthan was not Using its share of 8.62 MAF al Totted under the Indus Water Treaty and for years to come Rajasthan would not be in a position to use this share Punjab is already using part of this.

The Rajiv-Longowal accord stipulated that the water being used by Punjab and Haryana as of July 11985 was not to be disturbed but Haryana had challenged the Use claimed by Punjab and this is the bone of contention In case Rajasthan’s unused share of water is allocated to Punjab and Haryana both  the states would feel satisfied sources maintain

Beant Singh reiterated that the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal which is to carry water to Haryana from Punjab rivers will be completed and there was no doubt about it but the issue of apportionment would have to be settled first On the terrorial dispute he said | there were certain problems which would have to be sorted out by mainly the solution would take the form of providing adequate financial aid to Haryana to build new capital. Haryana has been demanding the Fazilka and Abohar areas in lieu of Chandigarh The area was awarded to Haryana when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister as this area is not contiguous Haryana she provided for a corridor through Punjab territory to link it with Haryana.

Beant Singh said he would meet his Haryana counterpart Bhaja Lal shortly to discuss these issues and was confident that the lingering disputes would be resolved amicably.

Beant Singh is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet the central leaders.

The Punjab Chief Minister Bean Singh on Monday called upon the youth leadership to take Congress (I) program to the people and educate them about the dangers of separatism and extremism.

Addressing a meeting of the office-bearers of the state Youth Congress (I) and its district presidents Beant Singh said that the need of the hour was to motivate the people against those who were under the garb of religion inciting People for their short-term political gains and helping the force who were out to disturb the age Old ties between the two principal communities in the state.

He said the hollow slogans that the Sikhs and Sikhism were i danger had to be positive and real deposition of the Congress party’s concept of secularism and firm faith in the institution of democracy. The Congress (I) was a secular party and had always shown respect to every religion and their followers

The chief minister said the youth had added responsibility at a time when the Congress (I) had been voted to power in the state and engaged in accelerating the tempo of development and simultaneously dealing with the menace of militancy. In such a situation the youth would have to make concerted efforts to give a befitting to all those anti-social and anti-national elements who were indulging in inhuman activities by killing innocent people.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 8, 1996