Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, As Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has made the SYL Canal an issue in the election year in Punjab, the White Paper released by the state government on April 23, 1982 states that he had agreed to its construction way back in 1978.
He had taken over as the chief minister for the second term in 1977 and his counterpart in Haryana was his family friend Chaudhary Devi Lal. This white paper also carries the number of two notifications issued for the acquisition of land for the canal. These notices No. 113/5/SYL and 121/5/SYL are dated February 20, 1978.
Here is the relevant para from Section 15:
“The then Chief Minister of Haryana and the then Chief Minister of Punjab agreed that the construction work on the Satluj-Yamuna Link Canal in the Punjab Territory would be inaugurated by the former chief minister of Punjab, Sardar Parkash Singh Badal and the function would be presided over by then Chief Minister of Haryana Chaudhary Devi Lal. This was confirmed in the official communications as also in the proceedings of Haryana Vidhan Sabha dated 1st March, 7th March and 10th March 1978”.
It may be mentioned that Akali Dal stalwart Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra had also made this revelation years later. It was his intervention that had stalled Badal’s move.
Badal must come out with the fact in the Vidhan Sabha.
