*Badal writes to Mufti, wants to resolve issue
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 21: After remaining at loggerheads with Jammu and Kashmir for several years, the Punjab Government has finally softened its stand on Shahpur Kandi Dam Project with Chief Minister of neighboring State, Prakash Singh Badal dashing a communication to the Chief Minister of J&K, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for resolving the issue as early as possible.
While dispelling the general observation that 1979 agreement with J&K has been repealed with the enactment of Act of 2004 by the Legislative Assembly of Punjab, Badal has even expressed readiness to enter into fresh pact with Jammu and Kashmir so as to ensure completion of project, whose fate is hanging in balance during the past several years.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that soon after receiving information that Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was keen to resolve the issue of Shahpur Kandi Dam Project, which otherwise remained bone of contention between two neighboring States of North India, Prakash Singh Badal decided to have a formal meeting with his counterpart in Jammu and Kashmir and accordingly he wrote a detailed letter to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed few days back.
In a communication No.CMO/Confidential/15/507, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, Prakash Singh Badal has elaborated on the vital aspects of the project in order to clear the apprehensions of Jammu and Kashmir vis-à-vis repealing of agreement of 1979 and expressed strong desire for resolving the issue once for all.
“As you are aware, the Government of Punjab and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir signed an agreement in the year 1979 for setting up of the Thien Dam project on river Ravi, Shahpur Kandi Dam, a balancing reservoir, being implemented as a part of Thien Dam Project”, reads the communication.
The Thien Dam Project was completed and commissioned by the Punjab Government in the year 2000 but Shahpur Kandi Dam Project could not be started for various cogent reasons, Badal said, adding “the Government of India declared Shahpur Kandi Dam Project as a national project in 2008 and Planning Commission gave its investment clearance in 2010, which led to start of work in the year 2013”.
“It appears that due to a mis-understanding about the implications of Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004 at this belated stage, the construction work on the project has come to a halt mid-way”, Badal said in the letter, adding “Government of J&K has expressed apprehensions that the 1979 agreement has been terminated by the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act of 2004 whereas the contention of the State of Punjab is categorical that the 1979 agreement with the State of J&K is not affected by the 2004 Act at all”.
Stating that Punjab Government has already filed an affidavit to this effect in the Supreme Court of India, Badal said, “the Punjab Government, as a confidence building measure, is ready to execute fresh agreement with the Government of J&K exactly on the lines of the 1979 agreement if it is so desired by the Government of J&K”.
“We need to remove the doubts at the earliest so that this national project of tremendous benefit to the people of J&K as well as people of Punjab doesn’t suffer”, Punjab Chief Minister said, adding “since successful completion of this project will bring prosperity both to the people of J&K and people of Punjab, we will be failing in our duties towards future generations in case we allow the matter un-resolved and deprive them of the advantages that are meant to follow in the form of irrigation water and electricity”.
Seeking early meeting with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for resolving the issue, Badal said, “either I can travel to Srinagar for the meeting at the earliest or I extend an invitation to you (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) for meeting at Chandigarh”.
According to the sources, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has asked the Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey to have a detailed discussion on the project with the concerned officers of Jammu and Kashmir especially in the light of observations made by his counterpart in Punjab so that J&K takes final decision on the subject.
Stating that Chief Secretary would hold meeting on July 24, sources said, “it would be only after receiving feed-back on certain vital aspects that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed would respond to his Punjab counterpart”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed while chairing District Development Board meeting of Kathua district on June 21 had announced that he would take up the issue of Shahpur Kandi Project with his Punjab counterpart and Union Government as this project would be of immense benefit for large portion of Kandi belt from Lakhanpur to Samba.
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