Latest news with #PunjabReorganizationAct
India Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Bhagwant Mann accuses centre of 'bias', advocates more water share for Punjab
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the Centre of giving "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab and said such type of discriminatory treatment is in the meeting of 10th Governing Council of the Niti Aayog here, the chief minister raised the issues concerning the state while reiterating that Punjab has no surplus water for any the ongoing row over the sharing of water issue, the chief minister asserted that in wake of grim situation of water in the state a Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal should be considered for construction instead of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Mann said that Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers are already in deficit and water should be diverted from surplus to deficit said that Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for Yamuna-Sutlej-Link Project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954, which entitled the erstwhile Punjab to two-thirds of the Yamuna chief minister said that this agreement did not specify any particular area to be irrigated by Yamuna waters, adding that before the re-organization, the Yamuna River, like the Ravi and Beas, flowed through the erstwhile state of while apportioning the river waters between Punjab and Haryana, the Yamuna waters were not considered, whereas the waters of Ravi and Beas were duly taken into account, he 1972 report by the Irrigation Commission, constituted by the Government of India, Mann said that it states that Punjab (post-1966, after its reorganisation) falls within the Yamuna River chief minister said that if Haryana has a claim over the waters of Ravi and Beas rivers, Punjab should also have an equal claim on the Yamuna waters. He said that these requests have been ignored, adding that due to non-construction of storage structure on Yamuna River, water is going to Mann pleaded that Punjab's claim should be considered during the revision of this agreement, and Punjab should be given its due rights to Yamuna the issue of "bias approach" of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the chief minister said that the Board was constituted under the provisions of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, with the mandate to regulate the supply of water and power from the Bhakra, Nangal and Beas projects to the partner states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and said that in the past Punjab has been very liberal in sharing water with the partner states to meet their drinking water and other genuine requirements as Punjab was relying upon its groundwater reserves to meet its demand of water, particularly for the paddy said that as a result, the groundwater level has depleted to a huge extent, so much so that 115 blocks out of 153 blocks of the state (76.10 per cent) are over-exploited, adding that this percentage is the highest amongst all the States in the that Punjab itself is running short of its water requirement and even its water share in the river waters is not sufficient to meet these requirements, he said despite our repeated request BBMB did not take any action to advise the other partner states to regulate the release of water to Haryana, and as a result, it exhausted its share by March 30, said that considering the request of the Government of Haryana on humanitarian grounds, the state decided to release 4,000 cusecs of water out of Punjab's share to meet its drinking water requirement, though Haryana has only a genuine demand of 1,700 cusecs of chief minister claimed that BBMB ignored the interest of Punjab and decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana despite serious objections raised by said that this is against the spirit and provisions of the law as BBMB has taken this decision of taking Punjab's water against the consent of Punjab, adding that BBMB should be advised to restrain itself and act as per the provisions of the issue of deployment of CISF personnel at Bhakra Nangal Dam, the chief minister said the security of Bhakra and Nangal Dams has been the sole responsibility of the concerned states since their said that the Ministry of Power (MoP) has taken the decision to depute CISF for the security of Bhakra Nangal Dams, which is an unnecessary and completely avoidable step as there is no need to disturb a well-established operational setup as it further degrades the right of Punjab with respect to these dams. In view of this, Mann requested that the decision to depute CISF may be revoked adequate representation to Punjab officers and officials in the Chandigarh Administration in the ratio of 60:40, the chief minister said that Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab and there is a well-established and time honoured convention, since the reorganisation of the state of Punjab in 1966, to fill all civil posts in Chandigarh administration from personnel drawn from the Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60: he said that in recent years this balance has been severely eroded with a systematic increase in deputations from the AGMUT and DANICs cadres, and added that key departments in the Chandigarh Administration hitherto managed by officers from Punjab have now been allocated to much junior officers from the AGMUT alleged that this increasing centralisation and declining representation to Punjab in the administration of its own capital is against the very spirit of cooperative the issue of immediate release of pending arrears under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students for Academic Sessions 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, the chief minister said that Punjab has the highest percentage of Scheduled Caste population (31.94 per cent) in the country and the Post Matric Scholarship scheme for SC Students for pursuing Higher Education was implemented as a 100 per cent centrally-sponsored said that this scheme with a 'Committed Liability' of the state of Rs 60.79 crore proved to be highly beneficial for the Scheduled Caste students in Punjab adding that the Government of India changed the criteria of 'Committed liability' in 2018 and made it equivalent to "the total demand of the state as well as Centre" in the terminal year of the previous plan period/ Finance on the issue of Desilting of Harike Head works, the chief minister said that it is located at the confluence point of rivers Sutlej and Beas and is the main control point for supply of water to South west Punjab, Rajasthan and also controlling flow into said that there is an urgent need for carrying out de-silting of the reservoir at a cost Rs 600 crore approximately, adding that as reservoir area has been declared a Ramsar Convention site and is of national importance, the central government and Rajasthan must share the cost of affirming Punjab's full alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the chief minister said that Punjab is committed to build a Rangla Punjab' -- a vibrant, inclusive, and progressive said that Punjab Vision 2047 launched in 2023 aligns with Viksit Bharat goals with an ambitious target of 8 per cent-plus annual GDP growth through industrial and service-led development, adding that structural reforms are underway to boost business environment along with infrastructure and InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Punjab
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Punjab CM urges end to injustice, demands water rights at Niti Aayog meet
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the Centre of giving "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab and said such type of discriminatory treatment is unwarranted. Participating in the meeting of 10th Governing Council of the Niti Aayog here, the chief minister raised the issues concerning the state while reiterating that Punjab has no surplus water for any state. Amid the ongoing row over the sharing of water issue, the chief minister asserted that in wake of grim situation of water in the state a Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal should be considered for construction instead of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Mann said that Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers are already in deficit and water should be diverted from surplus to deficit basins. He said that Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for Yamuna-Sutlej-Link Project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954, which entitled the erstwhile Punjab to two-thirds of the Yamuna waters. The chief minister said that this agreement did not specify any particular area to be irrigated by Yamuna waters, adding that before the re-organization, the Yamuna River, like the Ravi and Beas, flowed through the erstwhile state of Punjab. However, while apportioning the river waters between Punjab and Haryana, the Yamuna waters were not considered, whereas the waters of Ravi and Beas were duly taken into account, he lamented. Citing 1972 report by the Irrigation Commission, constituted by the Government of India, Mann said that it states that Punjab (post-1966, after its reorganisation) falls within the Yamuna River Basin. The chief minister said that if Haryana has a claim over the waters of Ravi and Beas rivers, Punjab should also have an equal claim on the Yamuna waters. He said that these requests have been ignored, adding that due to non-construction of storage structure on Yamuna River, water is going to waste. Bhagwant Mann pleaded that Punjab's claim should be considered during the revision of this agreement, and Punjab should be given its due rights to Yamuna waters. Raising the issue of "bias approach" of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the chief minister said that the Board was constituted under the provisions of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, with the mandate to regulate the supply of water and power from the Bhakra, Nangal and Beas projects to the partner states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. He said that in the past Punjab has been very liberal in sharing water with the partner states to meet their drinking water and other genuine requirements as Punjab was relying upon its groundwater reserves to meet its demand of water, particularly for the paddy crop. Mann said that as a result, the groundwater level has depleted to a huge extent, so much so that 115 blocks out of 153 blocks of the state (76.10 per cent) are over-exploited, adding that this percentage is the highest amongst all the States in the country. Noting that Punjab itself is running short of its water requirement and even its water share in the river waters is not sufficient to meet these requirements, he said despite our repeated request BBMB did not take any action to advise the other partner states to regulate the release of water to Haryana, and as a result, it exhausted its share by March 30, 2025. Mann said that considering the request of the Government of Haryana on humanitarian grounds, the state decided to release 4,000 cusecs of water out of Punjab's share to meet its drinking water requirement, though Haryana has only a genuine demand of 1,700 cusecs of water. The chief minister claimed that BBMB ignored the interest of Punjab and decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana despite serious objections raised by Punjab. He said that this is against the spirit and provisions of the law as BBMB has taken this decision of taking Punjab's water against the consent of Punjab, adding that BBMB should be advised to restrain itself and act as per the provisions of law. Highlighting the issue of deployment of CISF personnel at Bhakra Nangal Dam, the chief minister said the security of Bhakra and Nangal Dams has been the sole responsibility of the concerned states since their construction. He said that the Ministry of Power (MoP) has taken the decision to depute CISF for the security of Bhakra Nangal Dams, which is an unnecessary and completely avoidable step as there is no need to disturb a well-established operational setup as it further degrades the right of Punjab with respect to these dams. In view of this, Mann requested that the decision to depute CISF may be revoked immediately. Demanding adequate representation to Punjab officers and officials in the Chandigarh Administration in the ratio of 60:40, the chief minister said that Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab and there is a well-established and time honoured convention, since the reorganisation of the state of Punjab in 1966, to fill all civil posts in Chandigarh administration from personnel drawn from the Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40. However, he said that in recent years this balance has been severely eroded with a systematic increase in deputations from the AGMUT and DANICs cadres, and added that key departments in the Chandigarh Administration hitherto managed by officers from Punjab have now been allocated to much junior officers from the AGMUT cadre. He alleged that this increasing centralisation and declining representation to Punjab in the administration of its own capital is against the very spirit of cooperative federalism. Raising the issue of immediate release of pending arrears under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students for Academic Sessions 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, the chief minister said that Punjab has the highest percentage of Scheduled Caste population (31.94 per cent) in the country and the Post Matric Scholarship scheme for SC Students for pursuing Higher Education was implemented as a 100 per cent centrally-sponsored scheme. He said that this scheme with a 'Committed Liability' of the state of Rs 60.79 crore proved to be highly beneficial for the Scheduled Caste students in Punjab adding that the Government of India changed the criteria of 'Committed liability' in 2018 and made it equivalent to "the total demand of the state as well as Centre" in the terminal year of the previous plan period/ Finance Commission. Speaking on the issue of Desilting of Harike Head works, the chief minister said that it is located at the confluence point of rivers Sutlej and Beas and is the main control point for supply of water to South west Punjab, Rajasthan and also controlling flow into Pakistan. Mann said that there is an urgent need for carrying out de-silting of the reservoir at a cost Rs 600 crore approximately, adding that as reservoir area has been declared a Ramsar Convention site and is of national importance, the central government and Rajasthan must share the cost of project. Meanwhile, affirming Punjab's full alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the chief minister said that Punjab is committed to build a Rangla Punjab' -- a vibrant, inclusive, and progressive state. He said that Punjab Vision 2047 launched in 2023 aligns with Viksit Bharat goals with an ambitious target of 8 per cent-plus annual GDP growth through industrial and service-led development, adding that structural reforms are underway to boost business environment along with infrastructure and innovation.
Mint
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Stop injustice with Punjab, says Mann at Niti Aayog meeting; raises water issue
New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the Centre of giving "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab and said such type of discriminatory treatment is unwarranted. Participating in the meeting of 10th Governing Council of the Niti Aayog here, the chief minister raised the issues concerning the state while reiterating that Punjab has no surplus water for any state. Amid the ongoing row over the sharing of water issue, the chief minister asserted that in wake of grim situation of water in the state a Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal should be considered for construction instead of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Mann said that Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers are already in deficit and water should be diverted from surplus to deficit basins. He said that Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for Yamuna-Sutlej-Link Project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954, which entitled the erstwhile Punjab to two-thirds of the Yamuna waters. The chief minister said that this agreement did not specify any particular area to be irrigated by Yamuna waters, adding that before the re-organization, the Yamuna River, like the Ravi and Beas, flowed through the erstwhile state of Punjab. However, while apportioning the river waters between Punjab and Haryana, the Yamuna waters were not considered, whereas the waters of Ravi and Beas were duly taken into account, he lamented. Citing 1972 report by the Irrigation Commission, constituted by the Government of India, Mann said that it states that Punjab (post-1966, after its reorganisation) falls within the Yamuna River Basin. The chief minister said that if Haryana has a claim over the waters of Ravi and Beas rivers, Punjab should also have an equal claim on the Yamuna waters. He said that these requests have been ignored, adding that due to non-construction of storage structure on Yamuna River, water is going to waste. Bhagwant Mann pleaded that Punjab's claim should be considered during the revision of this agreement, and Punjab should be given its due rights to Yamuna waters. Raising the issue of "bias approach" of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the chief minister said that the Board was constituted under the provisions of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, with the mandate to regulate the supply of water and power from the Bhakra, Nangal and Beas projects to the partner states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. He said that in the past Punjab has been very liberal in sharing water with the partner states to meet their drinking water and other genuine requirements as Punjab was relying upon its groundwater reserves to meet its demand of water, particularly for the paddy crop. Mann said that as a result, the groundwater level has depleted to a huge extent, so much so that 115 blocks out of 153 blocks of the state (76.10 per cent) are over-exploited, adding that this percentage is the highest amongst all the States in the country. Noting that Punjab itself is running short of its water requirement and even its water share in the river waters is not sufficient to meet these requirements, he said despite our repeated request BBMB did not take any action to advise the other partner states to regulate the release of water to Haryana, and as a result, it exhausted its share by March 30, 2025. Mann said that considering the request of the Government of Haryana on humanitarian grounds, the state decided to release 4,000 cusecs of water out of Punjab's share to meet its drinking water requirement, though Haryana has only a genuine demand of 1,700 cusecs of water. The chief minister claimed that BBMB ignored the interest of Punjab and decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana despite serious objections raised by Punjab. He said that this is against the spirit and provisions of the law as BBMB has taken this decision of taking Punjab's water against the consent of Punjab, adding that BBMB should be advised to restrain itself and act as per the provisions of law. Highlighting the issue of deployment of CISF personnel at Bhakra Nangal Dam, the chief minister said the security of Bhakra and Nangal Dams has been the sole responsibility of the concerned states since their construction. He said that the Ministry of Power (MoP) has taken the decision to depute CISF for the security of Bhakra Nangal Dams, which is an unnecessary and completely avoidable step as there is no need to disturb a well-established operational setup as it further degrades the right of Punjab with respect to these dams. In view of this, Mann requested that the decision to depute CISF may be revoked immediately. Demanding adequate representation to Punjab officers and officials in the Chandigarh Administration in the ratio of 60:40, the chief minister said that Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab and there is a well-established and time honoured convention, since the reorganisation of the state of Punjab in 1966, to fill all civil posts in Chandigarh administration from personnel drawn from the Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40. However, he said that in recent years this balance has been severely eroded with a systematic increase in deputations from the AGMUT and DANICs cadres, and added that key departments in the Chandigarh Administration hitherto managed by officers from Punjab have now been allocated to much junior officers from the AGMUT cadre. He alleged that this increasing centralisation and declining representation to Punjab in the administration of its own capital is against the very spirit of cooperative federalism. Raising the issue of immediate release of pending arrears under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students for Academic Sessions 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, the chief minister said that Punjab has the highest percentage of Scheduled Caste population (31.94 per cent) in the country and the Post Matric Scholarship scheme for SC Students for pursuing Higher Education was implemented as a 100 per cent centrally-sponsored scheme. He said that this scheme with a 'Committed Liability' of the state of ₹ 60.79 crore proved to be highly beneficial for the Scheduled Caste students in Punjab adding that the Government of India changed the criteria of 'Committed liability' in 2018 and made it equivalent to "the total demand of the state as well as Centre" in the terminal year of the previous plan period/ Finance Commission. Speaking on the issue of Desilting of Harike Head works, the chief minister said that it is located at the confluence point of rivers Sutlej and Beas and is the main control point for supply of water to South west Punjab, Rajasthan and also controlling flow into Pakistan. Mann said that there is an urgent need for carrying out de-silting of the reservoir at a cost ₹ 600 crore approximately, adding that as reservoir area has been declared a Ramsar Convention site and is of national importance, the central government and Rajasthan must share the cost of project. Meanwhile, affirming Punjab's full alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the chief minister said that Punjab is committed to build a Rangla Punjab' -- a vibrant, inclusive, and progressive state. He said that Punjab Vision 2047 launched in 2023 aligns with Viksit Bharat goals with an ambitious target of 8 per cent-plus annual GDP growth through industrial and service-led development, adding that structural reforms are underway to boost business environment along with infrastructure and innovation.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
No surplus water for other states, BBMB has biased approach: Punjab CM Mann at Niti Aayog meeting
CHANDIGARH: Taking part in the meeting of the 10th Governing Council of the Niti Aayog on Saturday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reiterated that Punjab has no surplus water for other states. Mann said that in the wake of the grim water situation in the state, the Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) canal should be considered for construction instead of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. He said the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers are already in deficit and water should be diverted from surplus to deficit basins. He said Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for the Yamuna-Sutlej Link project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954 which entitled the erstwhile Punjab to two-thirds of the Yamuna waters. Mann said this agreement did not specify any particular area to be irrigated by Yamuna waters, adding that before the re-organization, the Yamuna river, like the Ravi and Beas, flowed through the erstwhile state of Punjab. However, he bemoaned that while apportioning the river waters between Punjab and Haryana, the Yamuna waters were not considered, whereas the waters of Ravi and Beas were duly taken into account. Citing a 1972 report by the Irrigation Commission, constituted by the Centre, Mann said it states that Punjab (post-1966, after its reorganization) falls within the Yamuna River Basin. Hence, if Haryana has a claim over the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers, Punjab should also have an equal claim on the Yamuna waters, he insisted. Mann said these requests have been ignored, adding that due to non-construction of storage structures on the Yamuna river, the water is being wasted. He urged that Punjab's claim should be considered during the revision of this agreement, and the state should be given its due rights to Yamuna waters. Alleging that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has a biased approach, he said it was constituted under the provisions of the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, with the mandate to regulate the supply of water and power from the Bhakra, Nangal and Beas projects to the partner states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. He said that in the past, Punjab had been very liberal in sharing water with the partner states to meet their drinking water and other genuine requirements. Punjab was relying upon its groundwater reserves to meet its demand of water, particularly for the paddy crop.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
HC restrains Punjab from interfering in BBMB operations, orders release of additional water to Haryana
In a significant ruling, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday restrained the State of Punjab and its functionaries, including police personnel, from interfering in the day-to-day functioning, operation, and regulation of the Bhakra Nangal Dam and the Lohand Control Room Water Regulation Offices. The court also directed Punjab to comply with the central government's decision to release additional water to Haryana, taken during a meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary on May 2. The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel on May 6, in response to multiple petitions, the main one by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), concerning the management of the dam and distribution of its water. The court's intervention followed allegations that Punjab had deployed police personnel on May 1 to forcibly take control of the dam and control room, obstructing the operations of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The move came after BBMB decided on April 23 to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, which was later revised to include 4,500 cusecs of extra water for eight days to meet Haryana's urgent irrigation and drinking water needs. BBMB's counsel Rajesh Garg argued that Punjab's actions violated the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966, which places the dam under the control of the central government. He pointed to a report from BBMB's chief engineer detailing the takeover and referenced meeting minutes where a majority decision was made to release the water, despite Punjab's objections. That decision was later upheld in the central government-led meeting on May 2. Representing Punjab, senior advocate Gurminder Singh and advocate general Maninderjit Singh Bedi defended the police deployment as a security measure, arguing that law and order falls under the state's jurisdiction. They also maintained that Punjab had not overdrawn its water quota, having used 5.18 MAF against its allocation of 5.56 MAF. In contrast, Haryana and Rajasthan were reported to have overdrafts of 3.13 MAF and 3.684 MAF respectively. Additional solicitor general of India Satya Pal Jain supported BBMB's position, urging Punjab not to interfere with dam operations. Advocate general of Haryana Pravindra Singh Chauhan reiterated the need for the water release, citing decisions taken by BBMB between April 23 and April 30. While acknowledging that courts lack technical expertise in water-sharing matters, the bench referred to Article 262 of the Constitution and the Punjab Reorganization Act, which empower the central government to resolve inter-state water disputes. It emphasized that Punjab may extend security to the dam and BBMB staff as per law, but must not interfere with its functioning. The court also clarified that if Punjab disagrees with BBMB's decisions, it may seek remedy through the appropriate rules laid down under the 1974 framework governing such matters. It outlined a legal recourse for Punjab, stating, 'In case the State of Punjab is not agreeable to any decision taken by the Bhakra Beas Management Board, then it is free to invoke Explanation-II to Rule 7 of the 1974 Rules by making a representation to the Central Government through the Chairman of the BBMB, which if made, shall be decided by the Central Government, expeditiously.' The ruling leaves open the suggestion by Satyapal Jain to deploy paramilitary forces for the dam's security, a matter to be considered by BBMB and the Central Government.
