Punjab CM seeks time from Union home minister to discuss BBMB issue

PTI

Chandigarh, March 6

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has sought time from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take up with him the recent change in rules for the selection of members of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board.

Channi also intends to take up the issue of evacuation of Punjabi students from Ukraine with the home minister.

The chief minister has sought a meeting with Shah to take up these two issues of “utmost importance”, sources said.

Earlier on February 28, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh had met Governor Banwarilal Purohit and said the recent change in rules for the selection of two members of the BBMB would be detrimental to the interests of Punjab and Haryana.

Singh had submitted a memorandum to the Governor on the issue and requested him to take up it with the Centre.

The change in rules has started a controversy with several political leaders in Punjab strongly opposing the Centre’s move.

The BJP alleged a deliberate attempt by some leaders to create confusion on the matter.

The BBMB, which is a statutory body under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and manages water resources of Sutlej and Beas, has a whole-time chairman and two members.

According to convention, the member (power) is always from Punjab and the member (irrigation) is from Haryana. They are selected from a panel of senior engineers.

But now the change in rules for selection allows anyone to apply for these posts.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, whose party is an ally of the BJP, had recently said the decision to abolish the representation of Punjab from the BBMB would “weaken” the federal structure of the country and hence the Union government should immediately reverse its decision.

Over a week ago, Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar had said BBMB rules have been tweaked “to the detriment of Punjab” and had written to Channi, urging him to take up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also lead an all-party delegation to meet the PM.

However, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh had recently hit out at the Congress and the Akali leaders for their statements on the working of the BBMB.

Chugh had said there was a deliberate attempt by some political leaders to create confusion and arouse public sentiments against the Centre.

The canard being spread by the Congress has been exposed with the BBMB stating that there is no attempt to change the already existing system to give due representation to Punjab and Haryana, the BJP leader had said.

Meanwhile, on the issue of Punjab students stuck in war-hit Ukraine, Punjab Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari had on Friday disclosed that 225 students have already returned safely and the state government is sparing no effort to help the distressed families.

The calls received on the state government’s dedicated control room numbers and these queries are being immediately forwarded to the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for ensuring safe and secure evacuation of the remaining persons, he had said on Friday.