Chandigarh, March 19: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab State Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Thursday demanded a response from the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and BJP regarding unpaid water dues from Rajasthan. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Pannu stated that evidence presented by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann indicates Rajasthan owes Punjab ₹1.44 lakh crore under a 1920 water agreement for supply provided since 1960.
The AAP leader maintained that the parties which governed Punjab for 70 years remained silent because the facts now stood exposed before the public. He asserted that these traditional organizations compromised the state’s interests for decades. Pannu specifically targeted BJP Punjab President Sunil Jakhar, asking why he remained quiet about past leaders who facilitated the diversion of Punjab’s waters to other states.
According to the Media In-charge, the current administration has significantly improved the irrigation network, increasing canal water reach from 22 per cent to 78 per cent in just four years. He declared that the government is actively reviving distributaries that were previously buried through collusion with land mafias. “The restoration of the Lambi Canal serves as a living example of our commitment to Punjab’s farmers,” Pannu affirmed.
The General Secretary stated that the opposition is troubled because their “old conspiracies” have come to light. He maintained that the state’s rights were sold away by previous regimes, but the current government would ensure every penny owed to Punjab is protected. Pannu declared that the mandate of the people has finally unmasked those who looted the state’s natural resources for seven decades.
