India, May 22 -- Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday objected to the Centre's decision to deploy a contingent of 296 CISF personnel to secure the Nangal dam, stating that Punjab Police is already there for the security.

Questioning the Union government's move, Mann asked what was the need to deploy CISF personnel when Punjab Police was already providing security at the dam. He termed the CISF deployment unnecessary and a financial burden to the state.

The chief minister, who was addressing a press conference in Sangrur, said that he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Niti Aayog meeting scheduled for Saturday.

Acknowledging the importance of maintaining good relations with the Centre in a federal ...