Harsimrat Badal flags BBMB water row; Centre says 'states not involved in distribution decisions'
PTC Web Desk: The Union Government has stated in Parliament that it has not received any formal communication from the Punjab Government concerning irregularities in the water distribution by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), or objections regarding the May 2 BBMB meeting.
Responding to a question by former Union Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik clarified that the Centre plays no direct role in distributing water among partner states of the BBMB. He said the distribution process was managed by a technical committee, including the BBMB Chairman, chief engineers from the partner states, and a representative from the Central Water Commission (CWC).
Punjab's concerns and legal standpoint
Naik’s statement follows Punjab’s repeated concerns over BBMB’s water releases to Haryana. Just two days before this statement, the Punjab Government filed a petition in the High Court seeking to nullify what it called "illegal" water allocation to Haryana beyond its entitled share. Punjab argued that Haryana received 8,500 cusecs of water daily without the state's agreement or approval.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier dismissed Punjab’s request to halt this release in an order passed on May 26.
Centre denies concealment or interference
Harsimrat Kaur Badal had raised the issue of alleged concealment of information by the BBMB and sought transparency in the matter. However, Naik reiterated that the BBMB's technical committee ensures a fair and transparent distribution based solely on water availability and state-wise requirements, with no direct intervention from the Central Government.
The petition also argued that the BBMB lacks the authority to distribute water as it was not vested with such powers under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, and that any allocation beyond the agreed share is outside its jurisdiction.
- With inputs from agencies
