Chandigarh, Apr 14 — The Government of India’s decision to open key posts in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to officers from across the country has sparked a sharp political reaction in Punjab, with state minister Harjot Singh Bains calling the move an “attack on Punjab” and demanding its immediate rollback.
“This is a gift by the BJP to Punjab on the eve of Baisakhi. The GOI should immediately withdraw the decision, or the people of Punjab and the state government will fight against it,” Bains said.
The decision relates to the posts of Member (Irrigation) and Member (Power), which have traditionally followed a fixed arrangement—Haryana nominating the irrigation member and Punjab the power member—since the formation of Bhakra Beas Management Board under the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966.
Officials said both posts have remained vacant for years, with Member (Irrigation) unfilled since September 2020 and Member (Power) since September 2022. At present, additional charge of Member (Power) is being held by the Chief Engineer (Generation) in BBMB.
Engineering bodies have objected to the prolonged vacancies, saying it violates statutory provisions. “Keeping these posts vacant is contrary to Section 79(2) of the Act,” said Vinod Gupta, spokesperson of the Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association.
Experts say the issue has been compounded by a 2022 notification by the GOI allowing officers from across India to apply for the posts, a move opposed by both Punjab and Haryana, leading to a stalemate in regular appointments.
Padamjit Singh of the All India Power Engineers Association urged the GOI to keep the notification in abeyance and restore the earlier system. He said ad hoc arrangements were weakening the board’s functioning and fuelling inter-state disputes.
The BBMB, which manages distribution of river waters and power among Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, has long operated on a balance of representation among partner states. Critics argue that altering this structure without consensus undermines cooperative federalism.
With water-sharing disputes already intensifying, the latest row over appointments and vacancies is emerging as another flashpoint between Punjab, Haryana and the GOI.