BBMB post: Build pressure on Centre, says ex-minister

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

Former Union Minister MS Gill said today that the Punjab Government should build pressure on the Centre to get the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Chairman appointed at the earliest.

He said that during the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966, the Centre had “mischievously taken the control of riverwaters from the state and set up the BBMB under its own control”.

“The posts of Member (Irrigation) and Member (Power) should alternate between Punjab and Haryana every five years. By doing so, at least some justice could be done to Punjab,” Gill added.

He said in the absence of a regular Chairman, Haryana was virtually controlling riverwaters as the Member (Irrigation) belonged to that state.

Meanwhile, All India Engineers’ Federation’s chief patron Padamjit Singh said the court had ordered on July 19 last year to complete the process to appoint the Chairman in two months. However, the Union Power Ministry had failed to do the needful, he added.