Chandigarh, May 15 (PTI): Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) is effectively catering to the needs of all the partner states through a coordinated management of water and power resources.
Khattar also appreciated the BBMB’s role in nation-building, underlining its contributions not only in the fields of power and irrigation, but also in socio-economic growth, agricultural advancement and balanced regional development.
Addressing an event in Panchkula to mark 50 years of the BBMB, which was established on May 15, 1976, the former Haryana chief minister said the board is effectively catering to the needs of all the partner states through a coordinated management of water and power resources.
The BBMB regulates water distribution from the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, with Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan being the partner states.
In his address, Khattar emphasised the addition of solar plants, increased installation of pumped storage plants (PSPs) and battery-storage provisions to meet the rising power demand of the region.
Later, interacting with reporters, he referred to the practice that the post of the member (power) in the BBMB would be held by an officer from Punjab and that of the member (irrigation) by an officer from Haryana.
He said earlier, it was only a tradition that was being maintained but now, it has been put in writing that preference shall be given to candidates from Punjab and Haryana for these posts.
“We would give preference to candidates from Punjab and Haryana for selection on these posts…,” Khattar said.
During his address at the event, Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal raised the issue of deploying the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at BBMB projects instead of the Punjab Police.
He termed the move and bringing in changes in the rules governing appointments in the BBMB unwarranted.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre issued a notification last month regarding the BBMB (Amendment) Rules, 2026, revising the eligibility criteria for the positions of member (irrigation) and member (power).
The notification stated that preference shall be given to candidates from Punjab and Haryana for these posts.
However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab had said that with the notification, these posts are now open for candidates from other states as well as there is no assurance of filling those with officers from Punjab and Haryana.
According to an official statement, the occasion stood as a symbol of the BBMB’s five decades of dedicated service, technical excellence, contributions to nation building and unwavering commitment towards public welfare.
The water resources ministers of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, Shruti Choudhry, Goyal and Suresh Singh Rawat, respectively, were present at the event.
In his welcome address, BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi highlighted the board’s achievements and continued commitment to nation building.
A commemorative coffee table book on the BBMB’s 50-year journey and the road ahead was released to mark the occasion. PTI SUN RC
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
