Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced on Wednesday that the state has billed Haryana Rs 113.24 crore for overdue Bhakra Main Line canal maintenance costs, uncovered during an internal audit. Cheema criticized previous Punjab governments for failing to recover these dues, which have accumulated over years due to Haryana’s non-payment. “We have sent the bill to Haryana,” Cheema told reporters post-Cabinet meeting, emphasizing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s commitment to safeguarding Punjab’s interests.

The announcement follows heightened tensions over the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) July 25 payment of Rs 8.58 crore to the Union Home Ministry for deploying 296 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Bhakra-Nangal Dam, despite Punjab’s objections. Cheema reiterated the state’s rejection of the CISF deployment, citing a unanimous Punjab Assembly resolution on July 11, 2025, which argued that Punjab Police, securing the dam for 70 years, is sufficient. The resolution highlighted an additional annual cost of Rs 49.32 crore, with Punjab, contributing 60% of BBMB’s budget, bearing the brunt.

Cheema accused the Centre and Haryana of a “well-planned conspiracy” to control Punjab’s water resources through CISF deployment. “We will neither allow CISF nor bear its costs. We are seeking legal opinion,” he stated. The AAP government withdrew the 2021 Congress-led consent for CISF on July 7, 2025, amid a water-sharing dispute. In May, Punjab reduced Haryana’s water allocation from 9,500 to 4,000 cusecs, citing depleted reserves in Ranjit Sagar and Pong Dams. Haryana, backed by Rajasthan, challenged this in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which on May 7 ordered Punjab not to obstruct BBMB operations.

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The dispute, rooted in BBMB’s management of water and power for Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh, has escalated, with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann calling BBMB a “white elephant” and demanding its reconstitution at a July NITI Aayog meeting. Haryana’s plea for 10,300 cusecs remains contentious, with Punjab asserting no surplus exists.

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