Haryana urges centre to repeal new laws for the appointment of member (irrigation) of BBMB
Bahadurjeet Singh/Chandigarh,June 5
Haryana has urged the central government to repeal the new laws for the appointment of Member (Irrigation) in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) at the earliest.
Member (Irrigation) is the permanent representative of the state and instrumental in addressing the needs and issues especially due to fluctuation in availability of water in the catchment areas.
V K Gupta Spokesperson, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) informed that Haryana has acknowledged the various representations made by it regarding the appointment of whole time members Member Irrigation and Member Power in BBMB.
Haryana has informed AIPEF that the state has written a number of D.O. letters in the last one and half years and taken up the matter of appointment of Member Irrigation in the Northern Zonal Council meeting held in December 2021 at Shimla.The matter was again raised in a virtual meeting taken by Secretary Power on 23rd. December.
Chief Minister Haryana in his D.O. letter of December 27 to the Minister of State Department of Personnel and Training sought his intervention and has vehemently opposed the framing of new rules for the appointment of Chairman , whole time members i.e. Member Power and Member Irrigation which provides for open selection on a pan Indian basis.
Haryana maintains that the partner states are owners of the BBMB , and expenditure of its functioning is provided by the partner states with no government of India contribution. The concurrence of the states is necessary to amend any rules regarding the selection process, since water and power are concurrent subjects. The selection of these posts on a pan India basis, would be a major loss of control and feeling of deprivation in the state as they will not have any say in the running of day to day affairs in BBMB.
The states should have full time members who have a grass route level of understanding the needs and aspirations of the people.
Haryana urges centre to repeal new laws for the appointment of member (irrigation) of BBMB. BBMB projects are owned , managed and financed by the partner states,and entrusting the portfolio of Irrigation and Power outside the states is simply not acceptable and defies all logic .
V K Gupta said that the stand taken by AIPEF from beginning is that since 1967 the Member Power has been from Punjab and Member Irrigation from Haryana is logical as these two states are the maximum shareholders in BBMB bearing the maximum expenses. These partner States have the right to manage the assets and this right cannot be snatched away and given to outsiders
June 5,2022
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