Chandigarh, August 26: Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Mr Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa today said that the role of SAD Parkash Singh Badal in particular and the Shiromani Akali Dal in general in construction of SYL stands exposed with the documentary evidence now in the public domain.
He said going by the record, the canal had always been constructed under the Akali Dal government. He was speaking after the presentation of new book Rivers Waters on Fire-Khalistan Struggle by senior journalist Jagtar Singh.
Mr Bajwa said the evidence included the record from both Punjab and Haryana governments and the proceedings of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. He said going by the record, then Haryana Chief Minuster Chaudhary Devi Lal quoted the Punjab notifications issued by the SAD government in 1978 to acquire land for this canal.
He said shockingly, the Badal government even invoked the emergency clause that stated, “Further in exercise of the powers under the said Act, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to direct that action under Section 17 of the aforesaid, shall be taken in this case on the grounds of urgency and provisions of Sections 5 (a) would not apply with regard to acquisition of the said land”. These notifications with numbers 113/5/SYL and 121/5/SYL were issued on February 20, 1978.
He also pointed out that SAD had also been nailed on the issue of approaching Supreme Court first as per this record. Haryana was the first to move Supreme Court on April 30, 1979 for the implementation of the 1976 award and it was only then that Punjab followed on July 11, 1979. All the awards and accords were annulled by the Capt Amarinder Singh government in 2004, the only concrete action by any Punjab government on this vital and sensitive issue.
He said this was just one aspect that had been touched in this narrative of Punjab’s turbulent period. He said at another level, this new book trashes the narrative that Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the creation of the Congress. It was clear from the record that he was provided legitimacy by the Akali Dal, he added.
