Leghari blasts federal govt for politically victimizing Punjab on water issues

LAHORE: Provincial Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari said the refusal to sign the loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the construction of the Greater Thal Canal is injustice not only to Punjab but also to the population of Pakistan.

Availability of water for the irrigation of the farm lands is critical to meet the nutritional needs of the growing population. The Greater Canal Thal will irrigate the agricultural lands of the backward districts of Punjab like Khushab, Layyah, Bhakkar, Jhang and Muzaffargarh.

The minister was addressing a press conference along with the Provincial Minister for Irrigation here on Sunday.

For Leghari, obstructing the construction of the canal will not only increase the farmers’ difficulties but also economically kill the people associated with the canal system to irrigate their fields.

“The Punjab government will not tolerate the injustice to the deprived people of the province and if the federal government will not sign the loan agreement with ADB then, it will proceed with completion of the canal project from the province’s own resources,” he stated.

The finance minister said the Greater Thal Canal project was not a new project. The Greater Thal Canal project was started in 1940, but since partition, the project has been demanding the attention of the government. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government took help from the ADB to complete the project.

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According to the normal procedure, the provinces are bound to get permission from the federation to obtain loans from international development banks for development purposes. A period of one year was required to sign the agreement with the ADB during which regime change was also witnessed in Punjab.

December 12 was the last date for signing the agreement, but the federation refused to sign the agreement for the construction of Greater Thal in Punjab on the basis of baseless allegations of Sindh, he added.

According to Sindh, the Greater Thar Canal is being irrigated with Sindh water which is completely wrong.

Sindh and the Federation are well aware of the fact that Punjab is irrigating the Greater Thal Canal with its own share of water.

It is pertinent to mention that in the Inter-Provincial Water Accord of 1991, a regular share has been allocated for the Greater Thal Canal. In 2008, a certificate was also issued by IRSA to supply water to the canal.

Leghari maintained that according to the water distribution agreement, the federal government has made the remaining three provinces their share of canals, including Rainy Canal in Sindh, Khachi in Balochistan and Chashma Right Bank canal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But Punjab has deprived the right of construction of the Canals.

He said that the Punjab government will not tolerate injustice to the people of the deprived districts. This is not the first time that the people of Punjab are politically victimized on water issues.

Leghari noted that during this period, no aid or funds were given to the province and due funds were not transferred from the National Financial Award.

“The flood also badly affected the canal system and infrastructure in Punjab but the federal government did not take any responsibility for it,” he alleged.