Punjab resolution likely amid water row with Hry
Chandigarh, May 5 -- A one-day session of the Punjab assembly, scheduled to be held on Monday, is likely to pass a resolution against "hampering Punjab's interest" by forcing it to give surplus water to Haryana. The session comes amid a heated political debate over the distribution of water from the Bhakra Nangal dam amid partner states.
Officials aware of the matter said the resolution is also expected to demand appointment of officials/engineers from Punjab on the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in the proportion decided in the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966. The BBMB, controlled by the Union Jal Shakti ministry, regulates water distribution from the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams.
The House is expected to reject Haryana's demand for surplus water and may also demand that distribution of water from the state dams and rivers between the partner states be reworked due to a fall in water level in these dams over the past years.
The resolution is also expected to demand appointment of officials/engineers from Punjab in the board in the proportion as decided in the Punjab Re-organisation Act of 1966, which governs the operations of BBMB.
The Union home ministry on Friday told BBMB to go ahead with the release of an additional 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana for eight days starting Saturday despite vehement protests by Punjab. The demand for additional water was raised by Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on April 28.
Representatives from Rajasthan , Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan -- the four partner states of BBMB -- attended Friday's meeting.
While Rajasthan and representatives of BBMB lent support to Haryana's demand of 8,500 cusecs in the meeting, Himachal Pradesh abstained, said a BBMB official, who did not want to be identified.
"It was also agreed that during the filling period of dams, BBMB will provide this excess water to Punjab to fulfil any additional requirements," a home ministry spokesperson had said. As a consequence, Punjab is expected to place a fresh requirement as against its earlier demand for 8,000 cusecs of water.
Representatives of seven recognised political parties at a meeting in Chandigarh convened by chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday took the stand that Punjab does not have surplus water to share, and not a single drop of additional water will be given to Haryana from the Bhakra Dam. They also addressed a joint press conference. in which Mann said that the decision to release more water to Haryana was being thrust on Punjab, but all parties were together on the issue of safeguarding the state's waters.
AAP's Punjab unit chief and cabinet minister Aman Arora on Sunday did not share the details of resolution which is expected to be tabled in the House. "Our government is very clear that not a drop of surplus water will flow into Haryana," he said.
Punjab CM Mann had deployed police personnel on Friday at the Nangal Dam, which is down stream of Bhakra Dam.
After the refusal by Punjab to share surplus water with Haryana, Haryana CM said that his government will approach the Supreme Court....
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