SYL Row: Rajasthan To Drag Punjab To SC Over Water Issue

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Rajasthan claims it may not get water for the Indira Gandhi Canal, the lifeline of millions of people in Rajasthan, following Punjab's decision.

Earlier Congress President Sonia Gandhi has assured two senior party leaders from Rajasthan that a direction would be issued to Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh not to curtail Ravi-Beas water to the desert state, a Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman said in Jaipur on Wednesday.

PCC chief Narayan Singh and leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) BD Kalla met Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday morning and asked her to protect Rajasthan's interests in view of annulling of inter-state river water agreements by Punjab, the spokesman said.

The two leaders presented before her Rajasthan's case and sought her intervention, he said, adding Gandhi assured them that a direction would be issued to Punjab Chief Minister not to disturb the desert state's share.

The two leaders also met three Union ministers from the state K Natwar Singh, SR Ola and NN Meena, who too assured their support.

The two leaders joined by former Chief Ministers Shiv Charan Mathur and Jagannath Pahadia would now meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has already announced to hold meeting of chief ministers of the concerned states.

Meanwhile, today's meeting with the Prime Minister was a part of the exercise undertaken by him to talk to the Chief Ministers of various states affected by the Punjab Bill.

Manmohan has already met the Chief Ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

"This is not the only water dispute in the country. A unilateral decision like the one taken by Punjab sets a dangerous precedent. What if other states start following in their footsteps?" said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Veerbhadra Singh.

It is worth mentioning here that the Punjab Assembly had earlier annulled all inter-state agreements on the sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters.

Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi could be badly hit if Punjab stops all water supply.

Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has called a cabinet meeting this evening to discuss the issue.