Chandigarh, April 14: Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains has called for an immediate reversal of a federal notification that opens senior technical posts in the Bhakra Beas Management Board to officers from all Indian states. The move represents a significant departure from a 56-year-old arrangement that reserved these roles specifically for representatives from Punjab and Haryana.
Bains affirmed that the new rules ignore the statutory framework under which the board was established. He stated that the policy change effectively dilutes the influence of the primary stakeholder states in managing the region’s vital river waters and power generation.
“The Union government should immediately withdraw the decision, or the people of Punjab and the state government will fight against it,” Bains affirmed. He noted that the decision has caused significant unrest among those who see it as a deviation from cooperative federalism.
The administrative gridlock has left the board without full-time members for several years. While the Member (Power) post, earmarked for Punjab, has seen no permanent appointment for over three years, the corresponding irrigation post has been vacant for nearly six. The Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association declared that these vacancies are contrary to the Punjab Reorganisation Act, which mandates a structured representation for partner states.
All India Power Engineers Association representatives also maintained that the current ad hoc arrangements are weakening the board’s operational efficiency. They declared that by shifting away from the established system—where the Chairman is a central appointee and the members are regional experts—the Centre is risking further inter-state disputes over water distribution. Officials urged the Union ministry to keep the notification in abeyance to restore administrative stability.
