CISF to be inducted in BBMB from August 31

Despite facing stiff opposition from the Punjab Government and a resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly against the move, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will finally be inducted into the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) on August 31.

Sources in the BBMB said the decision was finalised during a high-level meeting held yesterday between an Inspector General-rank officer of the CISF and senior BBMB officials.

Initially, the CISF will be deployed at the Bhakra Dam, taking over full responsibility for its security. The Himachal Pradesh Police personnel who have so far been managing the dam’s security will be relieved of their duties. However, both the Himachal and Punjab Police will continue to maintain their respective checkpoints along the route to the dam.

The BBMB will incur an annual cost exceeding Rs 100 crore per annum for maintaining a contingent of 296 CISF personnel. This amount is nearly three times the current security expenditure incurred on the deployment of the Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Police personnel.

As per the CISF operational protocols, the BBMB will be responsible for meeting all logistical and operational expenses associated with the CISF deployment. This includes not just salaries and allowances, but also daily provisions like soap, shaving kits, transportation, accommodation and even the procurement of arms and ammunition. In addition, the CISF has demanded that a newly developed and exclusive residential colony be built for its personnel deployed at the BBMB sites.

The financial burden of the CISF deployment has already caused friction among the BBMB stakeholder states. Notably, the Punjab Government has categorically refused to bear its share of the expenses. According to the existing cost-sharing arrangement, Punjab was expected to contribute 52 per cent of the total cost for the CISF security. However, in a recent statement, the Punjab Government asserted that it would not allocate funds for the CISF deployment in the BBMB, citing both the Assembly resolution and fiscal concerns.

The move to induct the CISF has raised questions over federal-state relations and the BBMB’s administrative decisions. Sources further indicated that after securing the Bhakra Dam, the CISF will gradually be deployed at other BBMB-managed installations, including the Nangal Dam, in the coming months.

While BBMB argues that CISF deployment will enhance the security of critical infrastructure, the significant cost escalation and the lack of consensus among member states like Punjab could complicate the implementation process.

With the official induction date approaching, all eyes are now on how the BBMB manages the operational and financial challenges that come with hosting a paramilitary force like the CISF.

The Punjab Government had initially given its consent for deploying the CISF in the BBMB in 2021. However, the current government, in a full board meeting on July 4, withdrew its consent to the deployment of the CISF in the BBMB. However, despite the consent being withdrawn by Punjab, the BBMB deposited Rs 8.5 crore with the Union Ministry for Home on July 25 as charges for the deployment of the CISF.