Centre appoints Haryana officer in BBMB, Mann says ‘arbitrary’

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, however, criticised the Centre for making “arbitrary” appointments to the BBMB, and said, “The high-handedness of the central government in these issues will not be tolerated at any cost.”

Batting for the reconstitution of the BBMB, Mann said, “The voting rights of any state should be ascertained according to its share in the board. Punjab has a 60 per cent share in BBMB, but its vote share is equal to Haryana and Rajasthan, which together have a 40 per cent share. This is ridiculous, because states with 40 per cent share can anytime decide the state which is having 60 per cent share,” the Punjab CM said.

Mann said, “Punjab has no surplus water to share with any state, and any decision which harms the interests of the state is not acceptable. So, there is no question of sharing even a drop of water with any other state.”

The central government, in an order issued on Monday, stated that the Appointments Committee approved a proposal from the Union Ministry of Power to appoint Nara to the BBMB for six months, or until a regular appointment is made, or until further orders, whichever comes earlier.

Nara, a chief engineer-rank officer serving the BBMB, will now take on the additional responsibility of member (irrigation).

According to Haryana government officials, the BBMB irrigation member post had been lying vacant for a long.

The BBMB management includes a chairperson and two whole-time members — conventionally from the partner states of Punjab and Haryana — designated as the member (power) and the member (irrigation), respectively.

There is a representation from each member state, including Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, as nominated by the respective state governments.

In 2022, the Centre issued a notification amending the BBMB Rules (1974), modifying the criteria for the selection of whole-time members of the board.

The revised rules introduced technical qualification requirements for appointments, enabling the selection of members from across the country, rather than restricting appointments to Punjab and Haryana.

Political leaders from both states, cutting across party lines, strongly opposed the amendment.

Punjab Engineer Jagjeet Singh assumed the charge as member (power), BBMB, in July 2024.

The appointment of the BBMB member (irrigation) follows a heated political debate between Punjab and Haryana.

Noting Haryana’s “marginalised representation” on the BBMB, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had earlier criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre and the state, alleging that they “failed to protect Haryana’s interests” in the BBMB water dispute.

“Today, Punjab officials occupy all key positions on the BBMB, and there is no one advocating for Haryana, which, as a result, is suffering,” Hooda said.

The Punjab CM said, “During the previous regimes, the leaders used to share water with Haryana and other states for their vested interests. Now, this practice is totally unacceptable as Punjab needs water for its irrigation needs. Due to robust infrastructure upgraded by the state government, Punjab now needs more water for canal irrigation as compared to the past.”

— With PTI