Chandigarh, November 17
During the meeting, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that Punjab must remember the sacred traditions of the Gurus while addressing water disputes. He asserted that sustained cooperation between states is extremely important for the progress of the nation. “By pooling our resources, sharing knowledge, and adopting each other’s best practices, we can turn the vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ into reality”, he added. Saini made these remarks while addressing the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council was held today at Surajkund, Faridabad under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Chairman, NZC Amit Shah.
While discussing key agenda items, Saini said that proper arrangements must be ensured for supplying each state its rightful share of water. Haryana has consistently been giving Delhi more water than its own share. However, due to the non-construction of the SYL canal, Haryana is not receiving its full share of water from Punjab. Once Haryana receives its rightful share of water through SYL, Rajasthan will also get its due share. He said that Punjab is the land of the Gurus, the sacred soil where Guru Sevak Bhai Kanhaiya served even enemy soldiers on the battlefield by giving them water. Through the Council, he urged Punjab to remember the great traditions of the Gurus while addressing the water dispute.
Saini added that water is a shared resource, and keeping it clean is the collective responsibility of all states. Recalling that rivers are revered as mothers in Indian culture, he specifically mentioned the Yamuna and assured that Haryana is making every effort to keep the Yamuna clean.
Referring to Panjab University, Chandigarh, Saini said that the Haryana government wishes to contribute to the University. If some colleges of Haryana become affiliated with Panjab University, it will benefit both the University and the students of Haryana. The Chief Minister said that ensuring the safety of children is everyone’s responsibility. With the implementation of the three new criminal laws in Haryana, cases under the POCSO Act are being disposed of more swiftly.
Besides Saini, Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Lt. Governor, Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, Lt. Governor, Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lt. Governor, Ladakh Kavinder Gupta, Administrator, Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria, Haryana Revenue Minister Vipul Goel, Cooperation Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, along with senior officers from the Member States and Union Territories attended the meeting.
