‘White elephant, totally useless': Punjab CM Mann slams BBMB, seeks its reconstitution

Time of India

05-05-2025

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister
Bhagwant Mann
on Monday criticised the
Bhakra Beas Management Board
(BBMB) as a "white elephant" during a discussion in the vidhan sabha on a resolution to protect the state's water rights, demanding its reconstitution.
Describing the board as "totally useless and unacceptable in its current form," Mann declared, "Punjab will no longer accept any decisions made by the BBMB regarding water distribution."
The CM pointed out that the BBMB was originally created to manage the waters of the Sutlej and Beas rivers, both of which flow through Punjab and are the state's rightful property. He emphasised that states like Haryana and Rajasthan have no direct connection to these rivers.
"For years, Punjab's water has been diverted to other states through the BBMB," Mann said. "Now, the BJP govt is using this board for its political interests. Meetings are being held at midnight without consulting Punjab, and under pressure from other states, the rightful water share of Punjab is being taken away," he added.
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Mann slammed the presence of employees from other states in the BBMB, claiming they were "paid from Punjab's exchequer and work against the state's interests". He also accused the BJP, through its Haryana govt and the central govt, of attempting to "snatch Punjab's rights". He alleged that BBMB meetings were being convened to "forcibly divert water to Haryana," despite the latter already using its full share by March 31.
Highlighting the efforts of his govt, Mann revealed that canal water supply to Punjab's farmlands had increased from 22% to 60% in just three years. He stressed that Punjab no longer had any surplus water to spare. He also recounted an incident from April 6 when Haryana requested water for drinking purposes. "Haryana has a population of 3 crore, and only 1,700 cusecs of water is needed for all human needs. Yet they demanded 4,000 cusecs, which we provided on humanitarian grounds," Mann explained. "Now, Haryana is asking for 8,500 cusecs, which Punjab simply cannot provide."
Mann reiterated that the BJP had convened an illegal and unconstitutional BBMB meeting, where a resolution was passed mandating that Punjab must provide additional water from its share to Haryana. "The Punjab govt will not give even a single extra drop of water to Haryana. The current allocation for drinking purposes will remain, but no more," he declared.
The CM also warned of a dire water situation in the state, noting that dams were holding 55 feet less water compared to the previous year. He called for a review of water-sharing agreements every 25 years and advocated for the Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) to ensure equitable sharing of water, saying, "Punjab has equal rights to Haryana's water as Haryana claims a share of Punjab's."
Mann vehemently rejected the Dam Safety Act, describing it as a "serious attack" on Punjab and its rights, a stance he had opposed during his tenure as a Member of Parliament.
Verbal spat with Bajwa
Before the resolution was passed, CM Mann engaged in a heated exchange with leader of the opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. Mann questioned Bajwa over the absence of the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh govt from the BBMB meeting. "Himachal's absence left Punjab with only one vote against the two votes of Haryana and Rajasthan, the BJP-controlled states in the water-sharing arrangement," he said.
Mann also criticised the Himachal Pradesh govt for "remaining silent" during the dispute, accusing it of tacitly supporting Haryana. In response, Bajwa defended the Congress-led govt, citing the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004, which he argued was designed to safeguard Punjab's water interests.
Mann, however, hit back, warning Bajwa not to "go back to history". "If you revisit history, your hands are stained with the blood and waters of Punjab," Mann retorted. He also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referencing his recent apology in the United States for events in the 1980s. "Rahul Gandhi claims he wasn't there at the time, yet apologises for the past. Does that mean Bangladesh wouldn't have been formed if he wasn't born before it?" Mann quipped.
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