Chandigarh, May 24 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, during the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, raised critical issues concerning water rights, industrial incentives, border development, and pending financial dues. Mann urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address these concerns to ensure equitable treatment for the state.

Water rights and Yamuna-Sutlej link

Mann emphasised Punjab's severe water scarcity, asserting that the state has no surplus water to share. He proposed constructing the Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) canal instead of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, noting that Punjab's rivers-Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej-are already in deficit. Citing a 1954 agreement between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, ...