Central Government Challenges Legitimacy of Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004

Posted: 03 Mar 2016

NEW DELHI— On February 29, the Solicitor General of India, Ranjit Kumar, contended that the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, resolution was illegal and outside of Punjab’s jurisdiction.  This resolution cancelled all of Punjab’s pacts of sharing Punjab’s water with its neighboring states, in addition to building of a Satluj Yamuna Link canal that would provide water to neighboring states.
Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said that the Punjab government has no right to nullify the verdicts addressed by Court in 2002 after thorough investigations.  The court had earlier ordered Punjab to build the SYL canal, to provide 32 LAF more water to Haryana.  In 2002, the review petition filed by the State of Punjab was dismissed by the Supreme Court on March 5, 2002, and the Union Government was instructed to construct the Punjab portion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal. Capt. Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab in 2004, however refused to allow work on the canal.
In 2004, when Captain Amarinder Singh led the Punjab government, a resolution named Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004 was passed to annul the 1981 Indira Gandhi award and subsequent agreements relating to the distribution of Ravi-Beas waters among Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.  The Punjab government had passed this resolution following the Supreme Court’s order to the central government to complete the Satluj-Yamuna Link Canal.
Commenting on the SYL canal, Capt. Amarinder Singh had earlier said, “We all have seen how the Satluj-Yamuna link canal issue had disturbed peace in Punjab, a state that barely has enough water for its own needs. Any effort to disturb the status quo can disturb the prevailing calm,” he said.
Due to the sensitivity of the current water dispute and the conditions in Haryana, the central government has urged the Supreme Court to defer the hearing of this case due to the current ongoing turmoil there due to the Jat agitation.  The Haryana government however has petitioned the Supreme Court to make a decision quickly. The water dispute case has been pending in the court for more than 10 years.
Chief Minister Parkash Badal is expected to meet with his counterpart in Haryana to discuss the water deal.  He has however clarified that Punjab “doesn’t have even a single water drop to spare”.  “Punjab’s stand on the subject has been consistent, clear and categorical. And there can be no compromise on the rights of Punjab as a Riparian state,” Badal said in a statement earlier.