New Delhi: The Supreme Court on December 16 issued notices to the Centre and Punjab government on an application by Haryana alleging that both had failed to discharge their Constitutional duties and obligation in completing the Rs 700 crore Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal as per the apex Court orders.

A bench comprising Chief Justice G B Pattanaik and Justice K G Balakrishnan issued the notices as Haryana government stated that the Supreme Court had directed both Punjab government and the Centre to complete the incomplete portion of SYL canal by January 14, 2003.

The apex court on January 15, 2001 had given one-year time to Punjab to complete the portion of SYL canal, which remained incomplete and observed that in case the state of Punjab failed to do so, the Union government must see to it that it was completed.

"Nothing whatsoever has been done by the state of Punjab to either continue or complete the incomplete portion of the SYL canal in the Punjab territory," Haryana government said.

It also charged the Union government of having failed to discharge its Constitutional obligation in implementing the directions of the apex court despite repeated reminders.

Haryana said the Central Ministry of Water Resources had taken up the matter with the Punjab government but the latter was "taking shelter behind some alleged review petition ostensibly filed by some farmers of Punjab in the apex court."

PTI