Will seek BBMB reorganisation at NITI Aayog meeting, says Mann

Punjab will take up the issue of reorganisation of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) at the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting. The water-sharing agreements of Punjab with partner states of the BBMB need to be revisited. This was stated by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann while addressing a rally of party workers at the Nangal Dam on Wednesday. APP workers ended their 20-day dharna against the BBMB after the rally.

Mann said, “Due to the negligence of previous governments, 2,550 posts under the Punjab quota are vacant in the BBMB. We will fill all those posts. We will also resist the appointment of retired officials of Haryana in the board. It has become a white elephant for Punjab. The BBMB owed Rs 33 crore to Punjab since the construction of Bhakra Dam. With interest, it now owes over Rs 130 crore to Punjab. We will recover the amount from the BBMB by deducting it from our share in the organisation’s budget. The BBMB head office has photos of Haryana and Rajasthan CMs, but the photo of Punjab CM was missing,” he said.

Mann said, “Haryana is like our younger brother, but we have no water to spare for it. We will start paddy sowing from June 1. We will save groundwater and power by using canal water. From today onwards, we will allow 100 cusec more water to Haryana. Excess water was used by Haryana during the last cycle, but we will not allow any such thing in future.”

Mann termed the AAP workers’ dharna at Nangal as victory of the state to save its waters. The party termed the day as “Fateh Divas”.

He said Punjab had never used more than 70 per cent of its share in the BBMB waters. “The present government has revived the canal system for using its full share of water from the BBMB projects,” he said. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, AAP MLAs and ministers participated in the rally.

After the rally, AAP workers ended their dharna against the BBMB at Nangal Dam over giving extra water to Haryana from the Punjab share. They hailed CM Bhagwant Mann as “Pania Da Rakha” (saviour of waters).

Sangrur: Later in the day, Mann met members of Ghanaur Kalan, Ghanaur Khurd, Ghanauri Kalan, Katron and Changli panchayats at Ghanaur Kalan village in Sangrur district.

Speaking there, he advised Haryana to use its share of BBMB water with restraint as Punjab had no excess water for it. He also heard demands and problems of the panchayats.

Punjab