Supreme Court to hear Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal issue today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.

The apex court Supreme Court had earlier in November last year ordered status quo on land acquired for the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal's stretch in Punjab and appointed the Union Home Secretary, Punjab's Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police as receivers.

The Supreme Court had, in its advisory opinion on a Presidential reference on November 10, held as unconstitutional the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, passed by the state assembly.

Following this, the Punjab government had de-notified 5,376 acres of land acquired from 4,980 owners for the canal.

A Constitution bench of the court ruled that Punjab could not have taken a “unilateral” decision to terminate the agreement with Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh to share of the Ravi-Beas river waters. The apex court ruling was also followed by resignations of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Captain Amarinder Singh and state Congress MLAs.