Northern Zonal Council meeting: CM Mann discusses long-pending SYL, Chandigarh Capital, PU issues with Amit Shah

Northern Zonal Council in Punjab: Home Minister Amit Shah presides over the 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Punjab's Amritsar today. 

Earlier today amid the tight security arrangements in Amritsar, Punjab cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal received the Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Amritsar airport. 

The NZC which comprises Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territories of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh.

During the Northern Zonal Council in Punjab's Amritsar chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah, a wide range of issues , including matters related to the Bhakra-Beas Management Board, affiliation to Panjab University, road construction work under PMGSY, canal projects and water sharing, matters related to reorganisation of states, and infrastructure development has been discussed. 

The issued discussed in Northern Zonal Council in Amritsar are as follows: 

CHANDIGARH CAPITAL

During the Northern Zonal Council in Punjab's Amritsar, chaired by Union Home Minister Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann raised the controversy of making Chandigarh as the sole capital of Punjab, detailing the history of all pledges made to Punjab on the matter. Mann also discussed the aspects of how land for Chandigarh was obtained in order to make it capital of Punjab. 

SYL ISSUE

During the Northern Zonal Council, Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann also raised issue on Sutlej Yamuna link canal highlighting contentious water issues with Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. 

Bhagwant Mann said, “This is very sensitive issue as Punjab does not have excess water for distribution to any state. This issue has the potential to exacerbate the law and order situation of the state.” He further added that the amount of water available in the current circumstance should be assessed.

PARA-MILITARY FORCES 

During the Northern Zonal Council in Punjab's Amritsar, Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann laid emphasis on deployment of Paramilitary forces in Punjab. Highlighting that Punjab is a border state and it is very crucial to maintain law and order situation of the state, Mann raised concern that several expenses borne on deployment of paramilitary forces in Punjab. He added that fees are being collected from the bravehearts of Indian Army and demands to free Paramilitary forces of Punjab from the mentioned expenditure. 

PUNJAB FLOOD RELIEF 

During the Northern Zonal Council in Punjab's Amritsar, Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann raised the demand for one-time relief to Punjab under the National Disaster Response Fund in order to double the compensation to be paid to flood-affected farmers. 

Due to relentless and incessant rainfall across Punjab – in July and August damaged about 16 districts of Punjab, some of which are still grappling with devastated loss. 

The Chief Minister demanded that farmers be allowed to buy agricultural land in neighboring areas and urged to provide funds for people who suffered in rain fury. 

Notably, the Northern Zonal Council meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the MHA in collaboration with the government of Punjab.

The 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council is attended by the chief ministers of the member states along with two senior ministers from each state and the lieutenant governors and administrators of the Union Territories. The chief secretaries and other senior officers of the state governments and Union Territories and senior officers of the Central also participated in the meeting. 

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- PTC NEWS

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