Punjab Govt de-notified land acquired for SYL Canal, returned to original owners

CHANDIGARH : A day before the special session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the SAD-BJP government in violation of Supreme Court orders to construct the canal today decided to denotify the entire land acquired for construction of the canal. The Vidhan Sabha tomorrow is expected to pass a resolution in this regard.
An official press release said, “The Punjab Council of Ministers today “decided in Public interest that the land acquired for SYL Canal Project which is presently vested in the Punjab government , free from all encumbrances, stands de-notified with immediate effect and shall forthwith vest in the original land owners of their lineal descendants/ legal representatives, free of cost.”
Giving this information, Punjab Chief Minister’s Advisor on National Affairs and Media Harcharan Bains said that the decision comes into immediately effect and necessary orders are being passed. The meeting was presided over by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the orders of Punjab Government for de-notifying the land. The SAD leaders had also prompted the farmers to take possesion of the land but Supreme Court had appointed a three member committee as custodian of the canal. It si understood that SAD-BJP government had taken this decision in wake of assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the Core Committee of SAD which met here today asked the President of India to ignore the advice of the Supreme Court as it did not answer any of the issues raised by him. The SAD also declared that not a drop of Punjab’s river waters would be allowed to flow out of the state.