‘Water injustice': KKU farmer activists ask Punjab assembly to annul Dam Safety Act in special session.
Pics:
Kirti Kisan Union
activists handing over a memorandum to some of the Punjab MLAs on Sunday
Bathinda: A major Punjab-based farmer organisation has demanded the repealing of the
Dam Safety Act
on the grounds that it threatens state's autonomy and violates
riparian rights
amid ongoing water disputes with neighbouring states.
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In a coordinated statewide campaign on Sunday, the Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) delivered memorandums to 50 Punjab legislators, urging them to pass a resolution annulling the Act during Monday's special session of the state assembly. The protest follows the Bhakra Beas Management Board's recent decision to allocate an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana — a move the KKU condemned as unjust and unconstitutional.
"This is sheer injustice to Punjab and a violation of the riparian principle," said KKU president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, sitting alongside general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala and secretary Raminder Patiala. He said: "It also undermines India's federal structure." The union argued that Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi should instead pursue the construction of the proposed Sharda-Yamuna Link to meet their water needs, while suggesting that Ravi river waters flowing into Pakistan could be better utilised.
They also called on the Centre to grant Punjab a special financial package to compensate for what they described as long-standing water-related inequities. The KKU accused successive central govts of sidelining Punjab's rights over its natural resources and accused the Dam Safety Act of further centralising power. "Punjab has faced discrimination for decades — first through the neglect of riparian laws, and now through this attempt at centralisation," the KKU said.
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Taking aim at Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the union urged him to raise the issue forcefully in Delhi rather than making symbolic gestures. They said the upcoming assembly session would be a test of political sincerity. "Monday will reveal whether political parties are serious about Punjab's rights or merely staging a performance," the union stated.
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