BBMB employees protest against CISF deployment at Bhakra Dam project

The All BBMB Employees Coordination Committee held protest rallies and gate meetings today against the BBMB management in front of the PRO Office and the office of the Chief Engineer at Nangal. Besides other demands, BBMB employees opposed the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in the organisation. Gurnam Singh Aulakh, BBMB employee union leader, stated that CISF deployment would intensify disputes between BBMB’s partner states. The Punjab Government has already opposed CISF deployment in BBMB, citing increased financial burden.

Aulakh questioned the need for CISF deployment when the existing security setup, comprising the Punjab and Himachal Police, has functioned effectively for over 60 years. Employee leaders condemned the BBMB chairman’s approach to shelving employee and pensioner demands under the pretext of water distribution disputes between Punjab and Haryana.

The employee union demanded immediate withdrawal of the circular dated May 20, regarding arrear payments, and the issuance of directions for one-time payment of salary arrears, pensions, and leave encashment.

They also demanded timely release of incentive payments as promised earlier by the BBMB management, disbursement of two salary bonuses for Pong Dam’s Golden Jubilee celebration, regularisation of contractual, outsourced, and daily-wage employees, and allotment of official quarters to contractual, outsourced, and daily-wage employees.

The employee leaders highlighted the disparity in treatment of outsourced employees in Nangal township compared to Chandigarh. The additional demands included grant of BBMB facilities to Rajasthan state employees working in the board, application of the 2.59 factor during pay and pension revision, implementation of a cashless medical scheme, filling of all vacant posts in BBMB, and the transfer and reinstatement of displaced employees back to Nangal.

The protestors welcomed the Chief Minister of Punjab’s statement regarding filling 3,000 vacant posts under the Punjab quota in BBMB. If demands aren’t resolved by June 25, employee leaders threatened to intensify agitation at the board level. The protests were led by Ashok Kumar (President, Bhakra Beas Employees Union – AITUC), Jarnail Singh (Local President, BBMB Field Employees Union – CITU), Vijay Rana, Pran Nath (CITU), Mangat Ram (All BBMB Workers Union), and Gurnam Singh Aulakh, and Baba Harwant Singh (All BBMB Retirees Union).

Punjab