Govt readies Bill to save riverwaters
Session tomorrow, Cong MLAs to stay away even as resignations yet to be accepted
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 14
The Akali-BJP government seems all set to introduce a Bill in the emergency session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, which will essentially protect the rights of the state over its riverwaters, on the principle that under the Constitution, the decision on releasing of riverwaters through irrigation channels was the sole right of the state.
Highly placed sources told The Tribune that the new Bill, likely to be presented in the emergency session on Wednesday, is being given its final shape. Though its initial draft was discussed today, the final Bill will be ready by tomorrow after effecting certain changes as suggested by irrigation and experts. The final decision on bringing the Bill will be taken tomorrow.
The sources said the new Bill, if given a go ahead, would assert that the state government had the right to determine the flow of its riverwaters as water falls in the state list (List 2, which now comprises 61 items) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, subject to the provisions of Entry 56 of List I.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is also likely to pass a resolution highlighting the contribution of Punjab in making India food secure and how the river waters are the lifeline of Punjab. The government is likely to take a strong political stand on the issue, and may declare that the state will not tolerate the injustice as it is against the recognised principles of riparian laws. An appeal could also be made to the Prime Minister and the President, besides all other law makers in the states as well as the Centre, to support Punjab’s cause.
The session has been convened for 10 am on Wednesday. Though the Congress MLAs have tendered their resignation in wake of an adverse SC verdict on the matter, their resignations have not yet been accepted by the Speaker. Thus, intimation has been sent to all Congress MLAs to attend the special session. The latter have so far chosen to abstain.
Sources say that though no back channel talks have been initiated by the government to ask the Congress MLAs to attend the session, Badal has made public appeal to them to be present. With elections round the corner and the riverwater dispute becoming a major poll issue, it suits the government to take the credit as being the ones serious about the issue and show the Congress in poor light, saying they ran away from it.
The issue will be discussed in the SAD core committee meeting tomorrow morning and later in the Cabinet.
Will support govt: Cong
Demands explanation on the fate of previous Bill
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 14
The Punjab Congress today asked the government to explain the status of the Bill for de-acquisition of land acquired for the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal passed during the last Assembly session with its support.
The poser from PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh came after Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal blamed the Congress for running away on the issue.
Specifically pointing out that Punjab Governor was yet to approve the Bill, Amarinder quipped: “The Akalis could not get the Bill passed from the Governor as well as its ally, the BJP, which is also in power at the Centre. They must give an assurance that this time the Bill being brought during the special session on November 16 would be approved by the Governor and the BJP at the Centre.”
Asking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to clearly spell out the agenda for the special session of the Assembly, Amarinder said though they would not be attending the session, the party would support the government’s move to protect the state’s riverwaters.
On Badal’s appeal to the Congress to participate in the session, he asked whether the Akali government had taken the approval of the Governor and the BJP to bring out a new legislation.
Demanding that the resignations of the Congress MLAs be accepted immediately, Amarinder said the President’s Rule in the state was the only way the elections could be held in a free and fair manner.
Congress list of 60 nominees in Dec
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 14
The first list of Congress candidates for the state Assembly elections will be released by the second week of next month.
Initially, a list of nearly 60 candidates is expected. The second list for the remaining seats will be released by December end or early next year. “The first list will have candidates who have no strong contender or are in a clear wining position,” said a senior leader.
Setting the process in motion, a meeting of the party’s central election committee is scheduled to be held in the first week of December. Before that, the state election and the screening committee will be playing their role in shortlisting the candidates.
While the state election committee meeting is scheduled for November 19 and 21, a meeting of the screening committee is scheduled for November 21.
Sources in the party said senior leaders Capt Amarinder Singh, Ambika Soni, Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary had already held meetings on the selection of candidates.
Though the leaders are picking candidates on the basis of surveys by multiple agencies, the pressure being exerted by different groups for their choice of candidates is figuring during the discussions.
Amarinder has already stated that the nominees would be selected after analysing survey reports and consulting Leader of Opposition and other senior party leaders.
Now, Bir Devinder blames Congress for water dispute
Tribune News Service
Patiala, November 14
Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh today claimed that the resignation by Congress legislators would offer no solution to the riverwaters dispute.
“Even the Presidential reference to the Supreme Court was sent by the President at the behest of the then UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh. I wonder why Capt Amarinder Singh did not take up the issue with the Centre at that time and resigned from the post of the Chief Minister,” questioned Bir Devinder in a statement.
"I would expect from Capt Amarinder Singh as a prolific historian to bring out all facts to expose the nexus that worked against the vital interests of Punjab since 1947 rather than showing indecent haste to occupy the 'chair' of the Chief Minister by depicting absurd illusions on the basis of falsehood," reads the statement.
“The Union Government led by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi intentionally entrapped the Akali Dal leadership on the issue of water sharing at the time of reorganisation of Punjab in November 1966,” he alleged.
Notice to wife of Sukhbir’s OSD
Had given ‘fake’ certificates to get teacher’s job
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Muktsar, November 14
The court of Muktsar Chief Judicial Magistrate Vishesh has issued proclamation notice against Karamjit Kaur, wife of Charanjit Singh Brar who is OSD to Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, in a case of fraud registered against her at City Muktsar police station in 2003.
A copy of the notice has also been displayed outside the residence of Charanjit Brar at Fakkarsar village in Gidderbaha sub-division. Charanjit is among the frontrunners for the SAD ticket from Nawanshahr Assembly segment.
In its orders (the copy of which is with The Tribune), the court has stated that “non-bailable warrant of arrest of accused Karamjit Kaur received back unexecuted. Report perused. I am satisfied that the accused cannot summoned in the ordinary way. Now, she (would) be summoned through proclamation for November 16, 2016.”
The court has further given her time to appear at 9.30 am on Wednesday.
The case was registered against Karamjit Kaur after former Gidderbaha MLA Raghubir Singh Pardhan had filed a complaint to the then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh alleging that she had produced fake certificates to get admission to a higher education course. On the basis of it, she got the job of a teacher.
Thereafter, Amarinder had marked a probe to the state Vigilance Bureau, which had booked her under Section 420 of IPC as she was found guilty of having produced fake education certificates.
On the phone, Raghubir Pardhan confirmed that he had filed a complaint against Karamjit Kaur.
It is learnt that the copies of the certificates of Karamjit Kaur, which she had attached with the job application form, were attested by her husband Charanjit Singh Brar who was posted as naib tehsildar at that time.
Charanjit Singh Brar said, “A case has already been registered by the Vigilance Bureau. It is pending in the High Court. We were not aware about the second FIR in the same matter. No member of my family has received a single copy of the summons issued in the past. We are law-abiding citizens and will definitely appear before the court on the given date.”
An advocate said, “If the accused did not appear on the date, the court may even declare her a PO.
UP minister Ramoowalia’s official vehicles challaned
Orbit bus drivers too face music for no seat belt
Mohit Khanna
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 14
Two official vehicles of Uttar Pradesh Jail Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia were challaned during a naka of the city traffic police on the Ferozepur Road here today.
ADCP-Traffic Dhruv Dahiya confirmed that the drivers of both vehicles had been challaned for not wearing seat belt.
He added drivers of some buses, including those of Orbit Aviation owned by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, too had been challaned for not wearing seat belt or overspeeding.
Interestingly, Ramoowalia was here as a state guest and the city police had provided him an escort vehicle too.
The incident took place when the official vehicles were heading to a nearby fuel station after leaving Ramoowalia at his flat in Rajguru Nagar this afternoon.
The drivers were reportedly stopped at a naka and asked to show their documents. Sources said the police team of the escort vehicle told the ADCP-Traffic that the official vehicles belonged to the UP Jail Minister.
However, ADCP Dahiya refused to budge from his stand and ordered issuance of challan to drivers for not wearing seat belt.
While Ramoowalia was not available for a comment, his OSD Navdeep Singh Mandi Kalan said it was “shocking” that the vehicle of the minister, who was on an official visit to the city, was challaned. “It appears that the city police played to the galleries and deliberately targeted the UP minister’s vehicle,” alleged Navdeep. Ramoowalia was once very close to Akalis but fell out of favour after he resigned SAD a year ago and within 24 hours, joined the Samajwadi Party in UP and took over charge as Jail Minister.
ADP Dahiya had also challaned the vehicle of Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice for wrong parking two years ago. Even in that case, the judicial official was on an official visit and was being escorted by a vehicle provided by the local police.”
Knocking at wrong door
Keep the President out of itThe Punjab Chief Minister has sought a meeting with the President to make an unusual request: Do not withhold assent to the Punjab Termination of River Waters Act, 2004, just because the Supreme Court says it is “unconstitutional”. The Head of State is being asked by a Chief Minister to disregard the Supreme Court and help his state pass a law that unilaterally nullifies inter-state agreements and the related previous Supreme Court judgments. Either legal illiteracy or political posturing, or both, are on display here. The ruling of the five-judge Constitution Bench may not be binding but no appeal lies against it and even if the President wants, he cannot accord legal sanctity to an illegal Act.
It is not that a five-time Chief Minister cannot tell right from wrong. Badal is not unaware of unreasonable demands he is making on the President. What he proposes to achieve by asking his ministers to make a beeline for Rashtrapati Bhavan is for the consumption of media and voters in Punjab. Post SYL setback, he wishes to appear to be doing something. People may wonder why after a long legal battle he is still asking for legal options available. What fresh light can an “emergency session” of the Punjab Assembly shed on the SYL dispute? Badal knows the Centre’s interference in the river water allocations in the past was unconstitutional, that the water flow in the rivers has declined, that a fresh distribution ratio needs to be worked out and only a tribunal can adjudicate on the issue.
However, Badal is not alone. Capt Amarinder Singh has joined him in wanting to flog a dead horse for political gain, possibly to cover up past “mistakes”, then seen as “cooperation” with the Centre, in laying down the canal. Punjab would have been spared repeated Supreme Court rebukes, senseless bloodshed and political struggles had successive governments taken, and followed, proper legal advice and passed valid laws. Punjab has a strong case and Haryana has its needs, and the two can be matched in a give-and-take spirit either through high-level talks since the political environment is congenial or the dispute can be taken to a new tribunal.
Short of support, AAP lifts SYL dharna on Gurpurb
KAPURI (PATIALA): Failing to mobilise supporters as desired, the Aam Aadmi Party’s ‘morcha’ on Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) issue at Kapuri village near here was a no show on Sunday, forcing the party to lift it. Party claimed that the dharna was called off because of the Gurpurb and it will resume on Tuesday.“We plan to call off the dharna on November 16, but a final decision will be taken by the senior leaders,” said a leader, requesting anonymity.
AAP leader Gulshan Chhabra said, “The dharna had not been called off. We only took leave on Gurpurb to let the volunteers visit gurdwaras on the pious occasion.” He said that the AAP will resume the protest on Tuesday.
Capt wants Badal to spell out special House session’s agenda
No decision can be taken on participation in the special session without clarity on the agenda and an assurance that any new legislation will be approved by governor and not made a mockery. CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab Cong chief
CHANDIGARH: With the SAD-BJP government deciding to hold a special assembly session on November 16, Punjab Congress chief Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday asked chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to clearly state the agenda for the sitting.
Sukhbir was reacting to CM’s appeal to the Congress to participate in the special session.
Amarinder demanded an assurance that any new legislation on SYL, passed during the special session, would be approved by the governor and the Centre.
“The Punjab Congress had always supported any government move to save the water of the state, no decision can be taken on participation in the special session without clarity on the agenda and an assurance that any new legislation would be approved by the governor and not made a mockery,” said Amarinder. Pointing out that the governor was yet to give his approval on the de-acquisition bill passed during the last session of the assembly with the support of the Congress, Amarinder said Badal should clarify how he proposed to convince the BJP and the governor to accept the same.He also asked Akali Dal to resign from the assembly and call for early elections in the state. “Let there be elections next month,” said Amarinder, reiterating that his party would go all out to resolve the SYL issue in the state’s interest once it is in power with a two-third majority.
He also demanded that the resignations of Congress MLAs be accepted immediately and also suggested that President’s rule was the only way out for free and fair polls in the state
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