Haryana has legitimate right over Chandigarh: Hooda

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, March 11

The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today said  that Haryana has legitimate right over Chandigarh and “we are not prepared to part with even a single drop of our share of water,” and added that inter-state issues can’t be decided in isolation.

          The Chief Minister was interacting with media persons in press lobby of Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today and was reacting to the issues of transfer of Chandigarh, inter-state water and territory raised by Governor of Punjab in his address on the first day of Budget Session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha here.

Mr Hooda said that the State  would not leave its claim over Chandigarh  and Hindi speaking areas. There has been Accords and Awards on the issue of Chandigarh, which is the capital of two States. The Hindi speaking areas should also be transferred to Haryana.

          While referring to the inter-State water issue, Mr Hooda said that  it was not the question of Riparian Principle as mentioned by Punjab Governor. Earlier both Punjab and Haryana used to be one State. The issue of water in such cases is resolved  on the basis of co-basin. Haryana forms a co-basin  as the rivers of Sutlej, Ravi and Beas are the tributaries of Indus river.

          Mr Hooda today again urged the Central Government to get the seven year old issue of presidential reference on Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal resolved expeditiously. Both the Eradi Tribunal and the Supreme Court have also delivered their decisions in favour of Haryana       In reply to a question, Mr Hooda reminded that even earlier he had offered Punjab to settle these inter-state issues through dialogue and the Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal had responded in a positive way, but he regretted that the Chief Minister Mr Prakash Singh Badal was not prepared. Mr Hooda said that as both of them had divergent views on his offer for a solution through dialogue, they should first themselves decide as to who is right.

          When a newsman asked Mr Hooda if he would send a written communication to Punjab to initiate the dialogue, Mr Hooda said that he has already made an offer to Punjab and there should be dialogue.

          When a newsman pointed out  to Mr Hooda that he has been generous, to this the Chief Minister said that Punjab being the elder brother, he expects  it to reciprocate by also being generous.

          In reply to a question concerning the role of opposition during the session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Hooda said the Speaker of Vidhan Sabha had given enough time to them to share their views. A responsible opposition benefits the State, he added. However, Mr Hooda said that that the opposition was not disciplined during the session, they did not follow the instructions of the Speaker and there approach was negative. Also, the opposition neither  make any constructive suggestion nor did they raise any issue concerning their respective constituencies. Instead they kept looking towards the press gallery. He said that earlier they had formed the Government by misleading the people, but the people understood them and defeated them.

          When his attention was drawn towards the report of the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the House today, Mr Hooda said that the report of the Comptroller Auditor General is always first discussed in the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. It is never discussed in the House in session. A representative of the CAG also attends the meeting.

          In reply to a question concerning the alleged involvement of ace boxer Vijender Singh in drug haul case, Mr Hooda said he feels that the boxer did not have such an attitude. However, he added that the law would take its own course.

          When his attention was drawn towards the statement made by a Congressman pointing out regional bias, Mr Hooda said that they were doing so to make their presence felt. Otherwise there was no such issue. Such men are misleading the people.