Shimla, Aug. 23 -- Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday came down heavily on the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), accusing it of neglecting the interests of the hill state and releasing excess water from dams during the ongoing monsoon season, thereby putting the lives of lakhs of people at risk. Speaking in the state assembly, Sukhu said that continuous discharge of water from the Pong Dam on the Beas has created a flood-like situation in Fatehpur and Indora regions of Kangra district. He informed the House that a first information report (FIR) was registered against the BBMB management at the Sansarpur Terrace police station in Kangra on July 26 for its alleged failure to ensure dam safety protocols. Sukhu was replying to a call attention motion in the ongoing monsoon session of the state assembly. Raising the issue, Congress MLA from Indora Malender Rajan said that 12-13 panchayats were hit, nearly 100 people rescued, 42 schools shut and critical infrastructure washed away. "In 2023, the BBMB released 1.42 lakh cusecs without warning, destroying more than 10,000 hectares. Yet it has not installed a proper early warning system," he said. Congress MLA from Fatehpur in Kangra Bhawani Singh Pathania urged the CM to announce a relief package for those who have suffered owing to the flooding. Sukhu told the House that three major projects - Bhakra, Pong, and the Beas-Sutlej Link - remain under BBMB's control since inception. Thousands were displaced when these dams were built, yet the state continues to endure fresh losses every year. Sukhu said Himachal continues to suffer every monsoon while the neighbouring states Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan reap the benefits. "Despite repeated devastation, including the 2023 floods, BBMB has neither compensated victims nor created safeguards. Our people are paying the price," said the CM. "We are fighting for the rights of the state. In 2022, the Supreme Court had ruled in our favour and BBMB has to pay us Rs.4,200 crore as arrears. But the neighbouring states are creating hurdles. We are expecting a positive decision in the upcoming hearing in the apex court. Our government will take a structured action on this and will fight this case seriously," Sukhu said. The CM assured that the government would be announcing the package for affected areas and directed MLAs to submit constituency-level damage reports. So far, 23 families (107 persons) shifted to safety, 121 hectares of paddy destroyed, livestock lost, and relief camps set up with the help of Radha Soami Satsang and volunteers. Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, on Friday, during the Day 5 of monsoon session of Himachal Pradesh assembly blamed the illegal construction carried out during the Jai Ram Thakur-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime along with neglect of forests, as the major reason for the disaster. "Between 2018 and 2022, Seraj lost around 23% of its forest cover due to indiscriminate tree felling, with 56 cases under investigation. Trees were illegally cut and drains were closed, which further increased the risk of disaster during the rainy season." said Negi during his reply to the debate on Natural Disaster under Rule 62. He said the deforestation case in Shikari Devi was pending in the high court. Negi further said, "We've increased compensation for disaster-related fatalities to Rs.7 lakh-higher than NDRF norms-but the scale of destruction demands national acknowledgment." Negi emphasised the need to remove legal and administrative roadblocks to accelerate relief and rehabilitation. "Our government does not need to hide anything, because we made timely management and also provided relief," Negi said. Targeting the leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Negi said, "He sought relief package for his constituency while meeting the Union ministers but the government is taking care of the entire state." "Despite boasting about 'double engine government', he (Jai Ram) did not take advantage of the opportunity and the state was deprived of development," said Negi, adding that Jai Ram constructed expensive buildings in his area but did not made a permanent building for the students of horticulture and forestry college in Seraj. The children kept living in rented rooms, even during the disaster they had to take shelter in rest houses to save their lives," he said. The minister also accused the BJP of discrimination in distributing relief material. "Disaster relief does not belong to any party, it belongs to the victims," said Negi ,while adding "Blank cheques were taken to distribute money among BJP supporters. Jai Ram should submit a white paper within seven days with the names of the beneficiaries." As soon as Negi was about to reply, BJP MLAs staged a walkout, accusing him of using "unparliamentary language" inside and outside the assembly. The Opposition had earlier announced that they would neither ask questions to nor listen to any answers from the minister during the session. Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, former minister and BJP MLA Vipin Singh Parmar accused the revenue minister of disrespecting Leader of Opposition and insulting disaster-hit people. Parmar said the government failed to provide immediate relief to the worst-hit areas, particularly Mandi and Seraj and that citizens themselves came forward to distribute aid. "After God, the government is the only hope for people in distress, but the CM is not serious and the revenue minister harbours malice," said Parmar, adding that the government's approach was insensitive. "The Congress has been wiped out across the country and will also vanish from Himachal due to its own policies," Parmar said. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that instead of implementing the Natural Disaster Relief Package (NDRF) in one area, the package will be implemented throughout the state wherein disasters' causing destruction. CM Sukhu announced this while adding his remarks in the conclusion of debate on Natural Disaster under Rule 62, wherein the opposition also urged to declare Seraj assembly constituency as a Natural Disaster affected area. CM Sukhu said, "We want to bring all areas, which received losses due to the natural disasters, of Himachal Pradesh under the relief package." Addressing the concern of rampant illegal mining, industry minister Harshwardhan Chauhan assured that suitable action would be taken and cases would be registered against land owners who are conniving with the illegal miners. Chauhan said that such areas where the land owners are giving land for illegal mining would be identified and strict action would be taken. The mining and police people are hand in hand and only fulfil the targets. Revenue under the Nurpur division has increased from Rs.8 crore to 20 crore after the government took concrete steps, he added. He was responding to the point of order raised by Congress MLA from Fatehpur, who demanded that the area downstream Pong Dam should be declared as no mining zone till permanent solution is found. He said that land owners are getting into a "Kacha" agreement with people from outside the state (Punjab) for allowing illegal mining on their land for money and the challans are not enough to stop the illegal activity....