Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today said that the state government will raise the issue of restructuring of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in the NITI Aayog meeting to be held on Saturday.
Addressing a victory rally here today, the Chief Minister said that he will raise the issue in the meeting to be chaired by the Prime Minister. He said that since the water level is changing frequently, every water agreement should be reviewed after every 25 years. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab is a landlocked state, which has ruthlessly used its only available natural resource of water and fertile soil to make the country self-reliant in terms of food.
The Chief Minister expressed regret that the manner in which BBMB has become a party to snatch the rightful share of the state’s waters is unfortunate and highly condemnable. He said that Haryana had exhausted its share of water in March this year but BBMB acted like a puppet of the Central Government and Haryana Government so that the water of the state could be snatched away. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the irony is that the Chairman of BBMB himself came to Nangal to steal the state’s water, which was thwarted by the people of the state.
The Chief Minister said that this is the same BBMB, which had taken Rs 32 crore from Punjab for its very important projects and this money was never returned to the state. He said that Punjab’s BBMB has a pending balance of about Rs 150 crore (exactly Rs 142 crore) and the state government will soon claim for the recovery of this money. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that BBMB Three thousand posts of Punjab’s quota have been deliberately not filled by the CM so that the state’s claim on the waters can be weakened.
The Chief Minister said that these posts will be filled at the earliest so that the interests of the state can be protected. He said that a township like Nangal which was designed with aesthetic aspects has been ruined due to the negligence of BBMB, which is truly condemnable. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that BBMB played into the hands of the Centre to snatch the waters of the state but the brave and hardworking farmers of the state foiled their nefarious efforts.
The Chief Minister clearly said that Punjabis have proved that if they can protect the borders of the country, they can also protect the waters of the state. He said that Punjab has a glorious history of making great sacrifices to protect the 532 km long border with Pakistan. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this time too Punjabis were at the forefront in giving a befitting reply to the Pakistani army and on the other hand Punjabis also saved their share of water.
The Chief Minister said that for about 20 days, the hardworking and alert people of the state did not allow Haryana and the Centre to steal a single drop of water from Punjab. He said that for years, Punjab’s water has been diverted to other states through BBMB. He said that the hands of Congress, Akalis and BJP are stained with the blood of Punjabis because these parties have stabbed the people in the back by ignoring the water rights of the state for their personal interests. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the previous leaders of Punjab have stabbed the people in the back by giving importance to their own interests over the interests of the state on many issues.
He said that a former Chief Minister had got a plot in Gurgaon to plan and issue survey orders for the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) river, where his luxurious hotel is today. Bhagwant Singh Mann also said that the former Chief Minister, a self-proclaimed custodian of Punjab’s waters, had presented a silver kahi to the then Prime Minister for the foundation stone laying ceremony of SYL at Kapoori. The Chief Minister said that BBMB was originally set up to manage the waters of Sutlej and Beas rivers but over the years Punjab’s water has been diverted to other states through BBMB. He said that the BJP government has started using this board for its political interests.
Calling BBMB a white elephant, the Chief Minister said that it is completely useless and unacceptable in its current form and also said that Punjab will never accept it now. He said that the injustice is that the employees of other states are being paid from the state treasury and they are only harming the interests of Punjab. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that BBMB uses the state money to fight legal battles against Punjab, which is highly condemnable.
Advocating for Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) instead of Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, the Chief Minister said that the Sutlej river has already dried up and there is no question of sharing even a drop of water from it. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that instead, the water of Ganga and Yamuna should be supplied to Punjab through Sutlej river. He said that in view of the alarming situation of water scarcity in the state, this is the only viable option that can be considered.
The Chief Minister said that despite being smaller in area, Haryana is getting more water than Punjab and the sad thing is that it is demanding Punjab’s share of water. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that if our own fields are dry then how can we give water to Haryana. He said that today about 60 percent of the fields of the state are being irrigated through canals, due to which Punjab’s
Every drop of water is very valuable.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab does not have excess water to give to any other state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that on April 6, Haryana had demanded drinking water from Punjab. He said that showing generosity, Punjab gave four thousand cusecs of water to Haryana from its share because our Gurus have taught us that giving water to the thirsty is a great virtue.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries, while Cabinet Minister Birinder Goyal thanked all the dignitaries and people participating in the rally.
