Chandigarh, May 5 (UNI) Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal today declared that Punjab cannot provide even a single drop of water from its share to Haryana, and also slammed the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) calling it a "puppet" of the Union government.
Presenting the resolution in the Vidhan Sabha, Goyal said the 4,000 cusecs of water currently being provided to Haryana state for drinking purposes on humanitarian grounds will continue. Beyond this, not a single drop of water will be given.
Demanding restructuring of the BBMB, he said that the current BBMB has become merely a puppet of the union government.
In meetings, neither is Punjab's voice heard nor are Punjab's rights considered; therefore, the BBMB should be restructured.
He said that the law specifies how many days' notice must be given for calling different types of BBMB meetings, but the BBMB does not comply with the law and illegally calls meetings at night. The House directs the BBMB to comply with the law in this regard, he said,
He questioned the Union government that the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers flow only through Punjab. On what basis, then, is the water from these rivers given to other states? When the treaty for distribution of these rivers' water among states was signed in 1981, the volume of water recorded in the rivers and distributed was much greater than what exists today. Therefore, a new treaty should be constituted for the distribution of these rivers' waters.
He stated that the 1981 treaty specifies how much water should be given to each state. The BBMB has no right to change this. If the BBMB decides in a meeting to give one state's rightful water to another state, such a decision would be illegal and unconstitutional. The BBMB should refrain from making such illegal decisions.
Goyal said, "For the past few days, the BJP through the union government, Haryana government and BBMB has been attempting to usurp Punjab's rights. By convening meetings through unconstitutional and illegal means, attempts are being made to divert Punjab's share of water to Haryana. Haryana has already used all of its water share as of March 31. Now the BJP wants Punjab's rightful water to be given to Haryana."
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