Punjab’s Resources Exploited by Successive Central Governments: Sond, Arora
During the ongoing special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Cabinet Ministers Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Aman Arora accused successive central governments of exploiting Punjab’s water resources, stating that no government at the Centre ever treated Punjab fairly.
Sharing historical facts related to the water agreements, the ministers said that in 1981, when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister and Congress ruled in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, all Chief Ministers were forced to sign an agreement under political pressure. “This led to Punjab’s river waters being handed over to other states free of cost, ” said Tarunpreet Sond.
Aman Arora pointed out that in 2015, when the BJP was in power at the Centre and in Punjab (in alliance with the Akali Dal), as well as in Haryana and Rajasthan, the issue could have been resolved. “But there was no intent to address Punjab’s concerns, ” he said.
“No matter which party ruled at the Centre, Punjab was never treated as its own, ” the ministers stated. “Congress orchestrated the exploitation of Punjab’s waters with its own hands.”
They also questioned why Punjab’s water was given away for free while states with oil, gold, stone or other natural resources never share them without cost. “If Punjab had been compensated for its water, it would have been the richest state in the country today. Instead, it is now buried under debt, ” Sond added.