After Punjab govt objections, Pong Dam Golden Jubilee celebrations plan go in limbo
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ March 26,2025
Today, a board meeting of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) held at Chandigarh and the board fails to take any decision on the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Pong Dam, earlier expected to be held in April 2025.
Punjab government has expressed dissatisfaction with the extravagant plan of the BBMB to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Beas Dam. Krishan Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary Water resources Punjab government had written a letter to the chairman of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on March 12,2025 over the Punjab government apprehension about the huge avoidable expenditure proposed by the BBMB to celebrate Golden Jubilee (50 years) celebrations of Beas Dam (Pong Dam), Talwara.
Also Read: https://royalpatiala.in/all-set-for-grand-golden-jubilee-celebrations-of-pong-dam-talwara/
After this the BBMB authorities dropped the issue and decided to take up this issue in the board meeting as expenditure includes a plan to give two months’ salary to board employees on this occasion
As per sources, “all the regular members and partner state members attended the meeting. Punjab’s member principal secretary water resources Krishan Kumar, IAS came for few minutes and left early as today Punjab government has presented its 2025-26 budget, that’s why no decision is taken on the celebrations as it’s Punjab govt who has raised the objections on the celebrations.”
“No decision is taken today on the celebrations of Pong Dam. Now, the board will take decision in the next board meeting which is to be held before June 2025. The board is positive in celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Pong dam and most probably it will happen in the month of September-October, if all goes well. The summer season is approaching and from April onwards the board will probably remain busy till September. After the rainy season, the Board will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Pong Dam” said a senior functionary of the BBMB.
A senior functionary of the BBMB said “the board’s plan is to decorate the plant, do lightning of the dam . The BBMB is going to invite around 5000 persons including the union power minister, jal shakti minister, chief ministers of partner states-Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. Along with them, the partner state ministers of power, water resources, chief secretaries, power, water resources principal secretaries of partner states, heads of other power corporations like SJVNL, NTPC, NHPC, PFC etc, heads of water resources department, former employees who dedicated their life for the Pong Dam etc among other personalities”.
Earlier, principal secretary water resources Punjab government Krishan Kumar, IAS had pointed out that “a total expenditure for celebration of Golden Jubilee ceremony decorative lightning arrangements, hoardings and logos at Beas Dam, BBMB, Talwara is likely to exceed more than Rs 5 crore. Even the employees of BBMB are proposed to be paid a salary of two months which is not acceptable to the state of Punjab and is purely an avoidable expenditure and will be burden on the partner states.” He requested the Chairman BBMB to re-consider the issue and avoid such huge wasteful expenditure and requested the proposal be brought for the consideration of the board meeting.
