The North Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah once again brought Punjab’s longstanding issues into the spotlight, but the outcomes of the meeting remained far from satisfactory for the state. While the meeting was presented as an exercise in cooperative federalism, Punjab largely came away with unfulfilled expectations, unresolved disputes, and vague assurances instead of concrete gains.
To begin with, the Union government’s focus remained heavily tilted toward security concerns—cross-border terrorism, smuggling, and intelligence coordination. These are indeed serious matters, but this emphasis overshadowed Punjab’s core demands. Issues such as compensation for farmers whose land falls beyond the border fence, reimbursement of pending security expenses, and funds for border infrastructure saw no definitive commitments. Punjab received assurances, but no actionable decisions—resulting in minimal practical benefit.
The crucial matter of river water disputes—including the SYL canal, Punjab’s water scarcity crisis, and the demand for a fresh reassessment of water availability—also failed to make progress. The Council merely “noted” the concerns without setting up a panel, a mechanism, or a timeline. For Punjab, this amounted to yet another missed opportunity to push for a legally binding, time-bound resolution.
On the economic front, Punjab sought relief for its struggling agricultural sector, industrial revival, compensation for stubble management expenses, and a statutory guarantee for MSP. However, the Council avoided these topics, claiming they were beyond the meeting’s scope. This left Punjab with no meaningful economic gains, while its longstanding grievances continued unaddressed.
Similarly, Punjab raised issues related to Chandigarh’s administrative control and Punjab’s rights in the Bhakra Beas Management Board. Yet these points were neither debated seriously nor advanced in any way. For Punjab, this was another area where expectations met with complete inaction.
While Punjab did get the opportunity to present its concerns—whether related to drugs, terrorism, federal coordination, or border issues—this participation did not translate into tangible outcomes. The Centre dominated the meeting, set the agenda, and allowed little room for state-driven resolutions. As a result, Punjab’s role was limited to voicing grievances rather than securing solutions.
In the end, the North Zonal Council meeting offered Punjab visibility, but not progress. The state’s key demands remain where they were before the meeting: unresolved, unaddressed, and overshadowed by central priorities. The meeting concluded with formal statements and photographs, but for Punjab, the structural problems remain untouched, and the path forward still uncertain.