New Delhi: Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil began discussions with the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday, ahead of the Supreme Court’s August 13 deadline to resolve the long-pending Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal dispute between the two states.
The meeting, which began at 4 pm at Shram Shakti Bhawan, is being attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, along with their respective Chief Secretaries and Water Resources officers.
Ahead of the discussions, ministry officials said efforts were being made to find a resolution to the decades-old water-sharing issue between Punjab and Haryana.
Top sources told The Tribune Publishing Group that Patil took the initiative to mediate between the states after the previous round of talks led by his predecessor Gajendra Singh Shekhawat failed to make headway.
In May, the Supreme Court had again directed Punjab and Haryana to cooperate with the Centre to resolve the SYL canal issue. The court had earlier appointed the Jal Shakti minister as the chief arbitrator and asked him to play an active role in finding a resolution instead of remaining a “mute spectator.”
