Haryana has also invited the National People’s Party, based in Shillong, to join the discussions
In a recent development regarding the ongoing water conflict between Haryana and Punjab, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had held an all-party meeting on Saturday.
The purpose of this meeting was to establish a cohesive political position on the state’s enduring dispute.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) decision to allocate an additional 4,500 cusecs of water, totalling 8,500 cusecs has sparked this conflict. The BJP-led Haryana government aims to devise a comprehensive plan to assert its claims over water distribution.
He had earlier sent invitations to political leaders from various parties, which included representatives from the ruling BJP, Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Notable attendees included BJP’s Mohan Lal Badoli, Congress state president Udai Bhan, INLD’s Ram Pal Majra, JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, AAP’s Sushil Gupta, BSP’s Krishan Jamalpur, and CPI(M)’s Prem Chand.
Based in Shillong, the National People’s Party had also been invited to engage in the discussions. This initiative followed a similar all-party meeting held by Punjab on Friday.
The stand-off had arisen when Haryana requested 8,500 cusecs from Bhakra-Nangal, surpassing its current allocation by 4,500 cusecs. Punjab’s CM had declined, leading to involvement of the BBMB.
Chief Minister Mann had stated that all political factions, have transcended their ideological differences. They had urged the government to conserve every drop of water, which is vital for the state. He emphasized earlier, that Haryana is already receiving 4,700 cusecs against its allocated 1,700 cusecs. He had also said that it stands to benefit from what he termed the ‘theft’ of Punjab’s rightful share.
Mann further clarified that Haryana has exceeded its allocated share by 103 percent. He also had warned that potential protests could arise if authorities overlook Punjab’s rights.
He also announced that Punjab’s government will hold a special Assembly session on water sharing on May 5.
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