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Chandigarh, Punjab: Parliamentarian from Hisar Dushyant Chautala on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request him to ensure completion of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal at the earliest.
In the letter, Dushyant claimed that the Supreme Court had in 2002 decided the SYL issue in favour of Haryana and had even directed the Centre to ensure the completion of the canal section in Punjab. In 2004, the Punjab assembly, however, terminated the water-sharing agreements with other states, including Haryana.
The matter was then referred to the Supreme Court as a Presidential Reference. However, in May, a constitution bench headed by the-then chief justice of India, RM Lodha, while quashing a law enacted by the Kerala legislative assembly in 2006, had ruled that the assembly had no power to enact laws to nullify judicial verdicts based on facts and findings.
Dushyant said this bench had also held that under the pretence of power, legislature could neutralise the effect of the judgment given after ascertaining fact by means of evidence placed by parties to the dispute.
Notably, the Kerala state assembly had enacted this law to nullify the Supreme Court verdict allowing Tamil Nadu to store more water in Mullaperiyan dam across the Periyar river.
“It is clear that the termination of water agreements by way of the law by the Punjab assembly in 2004 was invalid and unconstitutional; and in light of this, I urge you to ensure completion of the remaining SYL cana,” Dushyant wrote.
