Chandigarh, Aug. 28 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) on Wednesday stayed the appointment process for the post of secretary, Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), on the pleas from three engineers from Punjab. The petitioners - Ramandeep Singh Bains, Maninder Singh and Kewal Krishan - alleged that "tailor-made" criteria was put in place for eligibility to appoint Haryana executive engineer (power wing) Surinder Singh Mittal. The plea also mentioned that the search and selection committee had been constituted without the approval of the board. The petition comes in the backdrop of a controversy reported in May-June in which Punjab did not allow release of additional water to Haryana, defying the BBMB's decision. Even the HC orders in this regard were not complied with. The petitions over the dispute are still pending before HC. The petitioners alleged the applications were invited through a July 25 communication by fixing "tailor-made" criteria aimed at excluding eligible officers of Punjab cadre. The criteria restrict the eligibility to officers currently posted in the BBMB and permits officers of the rank of executive engineer to apply and fixes a minimum service length of 20 years, thereby excluding competent Punjab cadre officers, who have attained higher ranks in lesser period due to merit and efficiency. The officer from Haryana, despite 20 years of service, remains at XEN level and is now sought to be appointed as secretary in violation of procedural, statutory and constitutional mandates, they claimed. The plea further claimed no board resolution was passed for the criteria finalised and the same was never placed before or approved by the board. "The process was rushed through in an arbitrary and non-transparent manner. The constitution of the selection committee for the purpose is equally illegal as it comprises two members from the Haryana cadre and only one from Punjab. Historically the post of secretary has been manned by officers from the irrigation wing, especially from Punjab and Rajasthan, considering the nature of duties relating to water regulation, and never by officers of the power wing barring once," it added. The bench of justice Sandeep Moudgil has posted the matter for hearing on September 10....