Punjab annuls water agreements with Haryana, Rajasthan

         Chandigarh: Hardening its stand on the Sutluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue in the wake of the Supreme Court directive, Punjab today annuled all its water sharing agreements with Haryana and Rajasthan with the state Assembly unanimously passing a Bill in this regard. The Punjab Termination of Agreement Bill 2004, moved by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, was passed by the House after a discussion lasting over one and a half hours at the specially convened one-day session. The session was called in view of the apex court order asking the Centre to ensure early completion of the SYL canal in Punjab, which is opposed to the project, for carrying Haryana's share of Ravi Beas water. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan had entered into an agreement on December 31, 1981 allocating 3.5 MAF (million acre feet) of water to Haryana and 8.60 MAF to Rajasthan out of the surplus flow of Ravi and Beas rivers then estimated at 17.17 MAF based on 1921-1960 flow series. Punjab had got 5.07 MAF from the two rivers.

           Singh said the terms of the 1981 agreement have "become onerous, unfair, unreasonable and contrary to the interests of the inhabitants of Ravi-Beas basin, who have lawful rights to utilise the water of the two rivers. Even though Haryana and Rajasthan are neither riparian nor basin states, they have continued to utilise Ravi Beas waters".

BJP vouched for removal of Governors, so why cry now: Patil (Go To Top)
by Pankaj Yadav

         New Delhi: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Monday said that a section of members in the BJP-led NDA government had supported the view that Governors of all states must be removed with a change in government at the Centre, so it seemed surprising now that they were protesting the removal of four BJP-oriented governors. Replying to a debate initiated by Leader of Opposition LK Advani on the recent removal of four Governors by the Congress-led UPA government, Patil remarked, "I may be wrong.........but I am told that your own leaders, when you were in government, had supported the doctrine of removal of all governors with the change in government at the Centre."

          Intervening at this, Advani stood up smilingly during a din in the House, and said, "You have enlightened me on a fact that I never knew." Attacking Advani on his opposition to the removal of four governors, Patil thundered, "in 1977 a government, of which you were a part, had removed nine democratically elected state governments. Was that not dangerous than removing these four governors. A governor is a nominated person, but the Legislative Assembly is elected. Is not a fact that those nine states were dissolved in one go." Nailing the BJP for asking governors not to resign, the Home Minister said, "If some political party asks governors not to resign, is not politicising the post of governor."

           Earlier, while initiating the debate, Advani said the action of the Home Minister of removing the four governors was "dangerous and ominous". Referring to the doctrine floated by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, during his stint as Union home minister, Advani said, "that doctrine was falacious."

Apang defends Arunachal Governor (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang today defended the state's Governor VC Pande, saying that he had acted constitutionally to stymie the emerging political crisis in the state. Talking to reporters after meeting Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Apang said that Pande's actions had legal and constitutional sanctity. "I believe he (Arunachal Pradesh governor VC Pande) will not go against constitutional provisions. He is experienced and he will utilize his administration experience and then he will also use his administrative wisdom and then he will not go on his philosophy. Whatever we have done are legal and constitutional," Apang said.

            Pande had recommended President's Rule in the state earlier this week on Apang's recommendation after a revolt over pruning the size of the latter's 21-member ministry to meet a constitutional deadline. The state's opposition Congress party's deputies have been demanding Pande's dismissal. According to the 91st Constitutional Amendment, the size of the council of ministers was to be limited to 12 by July 7 in smaller states.

Laloo wants Bihar Governor to be removed (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Bihar strongman and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav on Monday gave ample indications that he wants his state governor M Rama Jois to be removed. Republican Party of India (RPI) MP Ramdas Athawale, while participating in the debate in Lok Sabha, mockingly said that since the BJP had been thrown out of power, all the governors appointed by the BJP-led NDA also should not be allowed to remain in power. At this Laloo passed a remark that he also wanted the governor in his state to be removed. Taking his words, Athawale continued, "see even Lalu ji wants the governor of Bihar to be removed." The RPI MP furthers said, "the union home minister is sitting by your side.........your request will be heeded quickly." This left the entire house in fits of laughter. Jois, a former chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was sworn in as Bihar governor by the erstwhile BJP-led NDA government.

I have never met Telgi in my life:Fernandes (Go To Top)

         New Delhi: Former Defence Minister George Fernandes on Monday refuted charges that he had any sort of links with the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam accused Abdul Karim Telgi. Regarding the photographs showing him sharing the dais with Telgi which appeared in some papers, Fernandes said that he as the Defence Minister had on the invitation of Anil Ghote, the local MLA, had attended a ceremony organised to build a memorial in honour of Param Vir Chakra awardee Abdul Hamid after which he returned to Delhi. The function, he added, was also attended by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, his deputy Gopinath Munde and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani. "I had no no clue about the people who were on the dais at the function except Mr. and Mrs. Ghote. If a phtograph shows Abdul Karim Telgi on the dais, a person whom I have never met in my life, to call this as links is to say the least unjust," Fernandes told members of the Lok Sabha.