Opposition backs Mann govt in rare display of unity

Leaders of various political parties in Punjab today unanimously decided against giving a single drop of extra water from the Bhakra dam to Haryana even as the state government planned to take legal recourse on the issue, said sources.

Representatives of all recognised parties, in a rare show of unity at an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, rejected the order by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to release additional water to Haryana by overlooking provisions in the rules governing the operation and maintenance of the Nangal dam and Nangal hydel channel.

The parties empowered the Aam Aadmi Party government to chalk out the next course of action for “safeguarding the rights of Punjab on its waters”. The meeting, convened by the state government, lasted two hours.

State BJP chief Sunil Jakhar who was accompanied by senior party leader Manoranjan Kalia said they fully supported Punjab’s stance on the release of additional water to Haryana, which, they said, had exhausted its allocated share for the September 21-May 20 depletion period.

Jakhar reiterated that they had no water to spare for Haryana and that any injustice to Punjab would not be tolerated. He, however, said confrontation should be avoided at a time when the country was at odds with a hostile neighbour in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. “The water issue should have been settled through dialogue,” he said. Jakhar is learnt to have offered to broker a meeting with the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister on the water issue.

The state government has convened a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on May 5 on the matter. CM Mann said they would prepare an agenda for the session and give it to all political parties.

“There is no politics or division on the sensitive issue of safeguarding state’s waters. The Governor has given his assent to the session. All issues will be discussed there and a resolution will be passed,” the CM said, adding that after the session, they would seek time from the PM to request for his intervention.

Congress leader Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said they had empowered the state government to decide the future course of action. Party leader and former Speaker Rana KP Singh said the state government should have understood the designs of the Centre in 2022 itself when it had refused to appoint a Punjab-cadre officer to the post of Member Power. “They are trying to dilute Punjab’s stake, forgetting that we have 60 per cent stake in the BBMB,” he said.

SAD’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said they stood by the government. “We will join any protest or accompany a delegation to meet the PM,” they said.

After the meeting, Mann said the decision to release water was being thrust upon Punjab. “They (Haryana) exhausted their water share for eight months on March 31. On humanitarian grounds, we gave them additional 4,000 cusecs on April 4, even though their requirement was 1,700 cusecs. You can’t coerce Punjabis into yielding to their demands,” he said.

MLA Nacchattar Pal and Avtar Singh Karunpuri from the BSP, and Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon and Bant Singh Brar from the Left were also present. AAP chief Aman Arora accompanied the CM at the meeting.

During the meeting, leaders of the Congress, SAD, BSP and Left parties initially urged the government to take up other issues where it was felt that Punjab’s rights were being violated. These include non-release of the Rural Development Fund; widening of BSF’s jurisdiction to 50 km inside the International Border; grant of Chandigarh land to Haryana for the setting up of an Assembly building; change of employee quota to be drawn from Punjab in the UT Administration; and amendment of rules for the appointment of officers on key BBMB posts. It was, however, decided that these could be taken separately.

Haryana, too, convenes meet

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini has also convened an all-party meeting on the ongoing water dispute with Punjab. Representatives of eight parties, including Mohan Lal Badoli (BJP), Udai Bhan (Congress), Ram Pal Majra (INLD), Dushyant Chautala (JJP), Sushil Gupta (AAP), have been invited. The BSP, CPM and National People’s Party have been asked to join the meeting to decide the future course of action.