At the loggerheads over several issues, including sharing of river waters, Punjab and Haryana were on the same page on the issue of change in rules for the selection criteria of top officials of the Bhakra Beas Management Board when they moved resolutions in respective Vidhan Sabhas over their claim on joint capital Chandigarh.
The Haryana Assembly Tuesday passed a resolution stating that the recent amendment to the BBMB rules by the Centre for appointment of whole-time members goes against the spirit of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, which treats river projects as common assets.
It urged the Centre not to take “any steps that would disturb the existing balance and to maintain harmony till all the issues emanating from the reorganisation of Punjab are settled”.
The Haryana government had summoned the one-day Assembly session just days after the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the Aam Aadmi Party-ruled state.
The resolution passed by the Haryana Assembly also sought the completion of the SYL canal and the transfer of Hindi-speaking areas from Punjab while criticising neighbouring state for staking claim over Chandigarh.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who moved the resolution, told the House that he had written to the Centre after the change in the rules, registering the state’s objection and demanded that the previous system be restored.
Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda also raised the BBMB issue and said,”interests of Haryana will not be safe with the new rules and the Haryana government should also oppose this.”
The Centre had earlier changed rules for the selection criteria of BBMB members. The BBMB, which is a statutory body under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 and manages water resources of the Sutlej and Beas, has a whole-time chairman and two members–member (irrigation) and member (power). According to the convention, the member (power) is always from Punjab and member (irrigation) is from Haryana and they are selected from a panel of senior engineers. But the changes in the rules allowed anyone to apply for these posts.
The resolution, which was passed by the Punjab Assembly on April 1, had asked the Centre to honour the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and not to take any steps which may disturb the balance of the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets like the BBMB.
While moving the resolution Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had asked the Centre to honour the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution and not to take any steps which may disturb the balance of the administration of Chandigarh and that of other common assets.
“Punjab was reorganised through the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 wherein, the state of Punjab was reorganised into the state of Haryana, Union Territory of Chandigarh and some parts of Punjab were given to the then Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh. Since then, a balance was maintained in the administration of common assets like the BBMB, by way of giving management positions in some proportion to the nominees of the state of Punjab and state of Haryana,” Mann said.
The CM said that through many of its recent actions the Centre has been trying to upset this balance.
“The Centre has advertised the posts of members of BBMB to officers of all states and central government, whereas these posts were traditionally filled up by officers from Punjab and Haryana. Similarly, Chandigarh administration has always been managed by officers of Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40,” the resolution said.
“However, recently central government has posted officers from outside to Chandigarh and has introduced central civil service rules for employees of Chandigarh administration, which goes completely against the understanding in the past,” it said.
