Centre holds meeting with Punjab and Haryana CMs on SYL canal dispute, next round in August

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) In a bid to resolve the decades-old Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal dispute, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on Wednesday convened a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini.

The meeting was held in a "cordial atmosphere" with both state leaders expressing their commitment to finding an early resolution to the long-standing water-sharing issue, the Jal Shakti Ministry said in a statement.

The SYL Canal, which has been a source of contention between the two northern states since the 1980s, was the focus of the discussions.

Though no immediate breakthrough was announced, it was agreed that the chief ministers would meet again with the Union minister in early August to continue working towards an amicable solution.

The move comes amid increasing calls for the Centre to mediate between the states and uphold inter-state water-sharing agreements. PTI UZM AS AS