Chandigarh Mar 31 PTI The Punjab Assemblys special one-day session will be convened on Friday a decision taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann According to the list of business Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will move a resolution regarding matters pertaining to Union Territory Chandigarh After the Centres decision that central service rules will apply to employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh Mann had on Monday said it goes against the Punjab Reorganisation Act Union Home Minister Amit Shahs announcement on Sunday had evoked sharp reactions from AAP Congress and SAD leaders with many of them saying this was another big blow to the rights of Punjab after changes in the Bhakra Beas Management Board BBMB rules Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha has convened a one-day special sitting of the first session of the 16th State Assembly on Friday ie April 1 at 10 am said a Punjab government tweet PTI SUN VSD RDK

Chandigarh Mar 20 PTI Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to consult the states advocate general on the Bhakra Beas Management Board issue to explore legal options against the recent change in rules for selection of its membersThe change in appointment rules for top officers to the board has raked up a storm with many political parties in Punjab and Haryana criticising the CentreThe Bhakra Beas Management Board BBMB which is a statutory body under the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 and manages the water resources of Sutlej and Beas has a whole-time chairman and two members for irrigation and powerPolitical leaders have claimed that according to the BBMB Rules 1974 the member power in BBMB was from Punjab and the member irrigation was from Haryana but the requirement has been removed in the amended rulesRequest Chief Minister Punjab BhagwantMann to consult with his advocate general to explore the possibility of filing an original suit under Article 131 of COI Constitution of India challenging BBMB Amendment Rules 2022 as they discriminate against Punjab Tewari the MP from Anandpur Sahib saidHe also said that as an MP from Punjab he will file objections PTI SUN VSD ANB ANB

Chandigarh Feb 28 PTI Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh on Monday met Governor Banwarilal Purohit and said the recent change in rules for the selection of two members of the Bhakra Beas Management Board BBMB would be detrimental to the interests of Punjab and Haryana Singh 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 Centres 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 the water resources of Sutlej and Beas has a whole-time chairman and two members of irrigation and power 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 on Monday left for Delhi to meet Union Home minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue Dhindsa 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 Punjab is already not getting an adequate supply of water and this discrimination has been continuously going on since the formation of Punjab Dhindsa said in a statement BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh hit out at the Congress and the Akali leaders for their misleading statements on the working of the BBMB In a statement Chugh 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 said PTI CHS VSD SMN SMN

New Delhi Feb 27 PTI The Power Ministry on Sunday stated that the central government has specified technical qualification for power and irrigation members of Bhakra Beas Management Board BBMB in the new rules following the directions of the high court The statement came after some opposition leaders reportedly attacked the central government for notifying the new rules and termed the action as an attack on the federal structure as earlier two members for power and irrigation subjects were appointed from Punjab and Haryana The recently notified rules only specifies the technical qualifications required for the functional members - Power and Irrigation - in BBMB a power ministry statement said It also explained that the notified rules comply with the directions of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in Jagmohan Singh Vs Union of India Ors The structure of the BBMB board remains unchanged No previously existing member has been dropped and no new member has been added it further explained According to the ministry statement earlier neither The Punjab Reorganization Act 1966 nor BBMB Rules 1974 specified the eligibility criteria and necessary qualificationrelevant experience etc for appointment to the post of Whole-time Members in BBMB It stated that the Rules will help ascertain the suitability of the candidate for appointment of Members Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has reportedly said that as per the BBMB Rules 1974 the member power in BBMB was from Punjab and the member irrigation was from Haryana but the requirement has been removed in the amended rules Congress national general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal have termed the new rules as a direct attack on the federal structure and the rights of the States BBMB is engaged in the regulation of the supply of water and electricity from Bhakra Nangal and Beas Projects to the states of Punjab Haryana Rajasthan Himachal Pradesh Delhi and Chandigarh BBMB is a statutory body constituted under Section 79 and Section 80 of The Punjab Re-Organisation Act 1966 As per Section 792 of The Punjab Re-organization Act 1966 BBMB Board consists of Whole-time Chairman and two Whole-time Members designated as Member Irrigation and Member Power to be appointed by the Central Government a representative each of the Government of the States of Punjab Haryana Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to be nominated by the respective GovernmentAdministration and two representatives of the Central Government to be nominated by the Government PTI KKS MR MR

Chandigarh [India], February 27 (ANI): Former PPCC chief and senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar on Saturday wrote a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on the issue of amendments in appointment norms of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

Chandigarh Feb 26 PTI The Congress Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party have raised strong objection to the Centre reportedly ending Punjab and Haryanas permanent membership in the Bhakra-Beas Management Board Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda who is the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly termed it an attack on the rights of the state Hooda said According to the Bhakra-Beas Management Board Rules 1974 the member power in the BBMB was from Punjab and the member irrigation was from Haryana But in the amended rules of 2022 this requirement has been done away with Under the amended rules the criteria for the selection of members have also been defined in such a way that the power departments of Haryana and Punjab cannot meet the criteria Hooda said in a statement here Hooda said there has been a reduction in the posts available from Haryana quota in the BBMB in the past as well due to the alleged neglect of the BJP-led state government The Haryana government did not say anything then and they continue to be silent even after the new decision of the Union government This silence of the BJP-JJP government is anti-state he said All political parties of Punjab including the Congress are unanimous and raising their voice against this decision to protect the interest of the state In such a situation the Haryana government along with all the parties should oppose this decision and protect the rights of the state he added Meanwhile Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said BBMB rules have been tweaked to the detriment of Punjab Jakhar on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi urging him to take up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the issue of amendments to the BBMB rules and also lead an all-party delegation to meet the PM Jakhar said Punjab and Haryana are the owner-members of the BBMB They provide funds towards the expenditure of the Board and even staff was taken on deputation from these two states said Jakhar With the amendment it will not be mandatory anymore to take these members from Haryana and Punjab This is patently unfair more so because the State of Punjab has never recognised the establishment of the BBMBThe BBMB was established under section 78-80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 Punjab has challenged the constitutional validity of these sections through a suit under Article 131 of the Constitution which is pending in the Supreme Court said Jakhar The state has averred that the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 has been enacted under Article 3 of the Constitution and therefore distribution control and management of inter-state waters which is done by the BBMB cannot be dealt with under this Act Jakhar said He said the amendment to the BBMB rules take away existing rights and privileges of the owner-members of the BBMB This has caused great consternation among people of Punjab Jakhar said in a statement here Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said by ending the representation of Haryana and Punjab in the BBMB the Narendra Modi government has once again crushed the rights of Haryana and Punjab This is a direct attack on the federal structure and the rights of the states Surjewala said Once again Haryana and Punjab are paying the price for making the BJP government bow down in the farmers movement he said Shiromani Akali Dal SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal described it a frighteningly grave development fraught with serious consequences for the state of Punjab Badal said The fact of the matter is that as per the law of the country precedents and the prevailing practices the control of Satluj-Beas headworks belongs exclusively to Punjab as a riparian state But first they unconstitutionally took that control away from us and now they are shutting Punjab completely out the BBMB This is the height of injustice against us This is also another instance of the federal principle has been outraged repeatedly by governments at the Centre We will fight it with all the might at our disposal Badal said in a statement The Akali Dal president appealed to every Punjabi to close ranks to fight for justice for the state He alleged that the decision was yet another link in the long and painful chain of political economic and religious discrimination against Punjabis in general and the Sikhs in particular Badal further said the decision was certain to rub salt into the already festering wounds of Punjabis in general and Sikhs and other farmers in particular In a tweet SAD MP and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the Centres tweaking of BBMB norms is an act of gross discrimination against the brave and patriotic people of Punjab Also it runs against all accepted norms and spirit of the constitutionWe will fight it I appeal to all Punjabis to unite against this injustice AAPs Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann said that the move is a direct blow to Indias federal system The Union government should refrain from taking arbitrary decisions in the BBMB rules and abandon the stepmotherly attitude towards Punjab he said Mann said he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi PTI SUN VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh Feb 26 PTI The Congress Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party have raised strong objection to the Centre reportedly ending Punjab and Haryanas permanent membership in the Bhakra-Beas Management Board Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday objected to the Union Power Ministry reportedly amending the rules which govern the appointment of the member power and the member Irrigation on the Bhakra-Beas Management Board BBMB from Punjab and Haryana respectively Hooda who is the Leader of Opposition in Haryana termed it an attack on the rights of the state Hooda said According to the Bhakra-Beas Management Board Rules 1974 the member power in the BBMB was from Punjab and the member irrigation was from Haryana But in the amended rules of 2022 this requirement has been done away with Under the amended rules the criteria for the selection of members have also been defined in such a way that the power departments of Haryana and Punjab cannot meet the criteria Hooda said in a statement here Hooda said there has been a reduction in the posts available from Haryana quota in the BBMB in the past as well due to the alleged neglect of the BJP-led state government The Haryana government did not say anything then and they continue to be silent even after the new decision of the Union government This silence of the BJP-JJP government is anti-state he said All political parties of Punjab including the Congress are unanimous and raising their voice against this decision to protect the interest of the state In such a situation the Haryana government along with all the parties should oppose this decision and protect the rights of the state he added Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said by ending the representation of Haryana and Punjab in the BBMB the Narendra Modi government has once again crushed the rights of Haryana and Punjab This is a direct attack on the federal structure and the rights of the states Surjewala said in a statement Once again Haryana and Punjab are paying the price for making the BJP government bow down in the farmers movement he said Shiromani Akali Dal SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal described it a frighteningly grave development fraught with serious consequences for the state of Punjab Badal said The fact of the matter is that as per the law of the country precedents and the prevailing practices the control of Satluj-Beas headworks belongs exclusively to Punjab as a riparian state But first they unconstitutionally took that control away from us and now they are shutting Punjab completely out the BBMB This is the height of injustice against us This is also another instance of the federal principle has been outraged repeatedly by governments at the Centre We will fight it with all the might at our disposal Badal said in a statement The Akali Dal president appealed to every Punjabi to close ranks to fight for justice for the state He alleged that the decision was yet another link in the long and painful chain of political economic and religious discrimination against Punjabis in general and the Sikhs in particular Badal further said the decision was certain to rub salt into the already festering wounds of Punjabis in general and Sikhs and other farmers in particular Congress leader from Punjab Sunil Jakhar said BBMB rules are tweaked to the detriment of Punjab The Aam Aadmi Party AAP also termed it another direct attack on the rights of Punjab AAPs Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann said that the move is a direct blow to Indias federal system The Union government should refrain from taking arbitrary decisions in the BBMB rules and abandon the stepmotherly attitude towards Punjab he said Mann said he would take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Mann also said that various conspiracies were being hatched to hurt the brotherly bond of Punjab and Haryana formed during the farmers agitation Eliminating the permanent representation of Punjab in the management of the BBMB is also part of this conspiracy and people should stay cautious he said PTI SUN VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh [India], February 26 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday lashed out at the Central government for changing the norms for the appointment of full-time members of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) stating that it will adversely affect the interest of Punjab and Punjabis.