Amritsar: Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney has expressed concern over the recent amendment to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Rules, 1974, which opens up top posts to candidates beyond Punjab and Haryana.Sahney said on Tuesday that the move discarded long-standing conventions and diluted the federal spirit by weakening the assured representation of partner states, reducing it to a mere preference.The AAP representative noted that, as per long-standing convention, Punjab has traditionally held the member (power) post, while Haryana represented member (irrigation), ensuring a balanced and equitable framework in the BBMB functioning.The parliamentarian recalled that he strongly opposed a similar amendment in 2022, which first allowed appointments from across India in the BBMB, overriding established conventions.He emphasised that the BBMB was a sensitive inter-state body managing the waters of the Satluj, Beas and Ravi rivers, and any dilution of the role of riparian states undermined cooperative federalism and risked disturbing the existing balance of water-sharing arrangements.MSID:: 130258582 413 |
