Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has urgently appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene against the Centre's controversial plan to expand the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) by appointing two additional whole-time members from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, a move Mann labels as blatant "incremental federal erosion" that undermines Punjab's dominant stake in the vital water and power resource. In a strongly worded letter, he urged the Ministry of Power to abandon creating these extra posts and instead fill vacancies through the longstanding formula of one member each from Punjab and Haryana, strictly adhering to the cap of two whole-time members under existing statutes.

Mann highlighted Section 79 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, which governs BBMB composition and explicitly limits whole-time members to two, a provision Punjab has long contested in court. The state has filed a civil suit (No. 2 of 2007) challenging the constitutional validity of Sections 78 and 79, a case still pending before the Supreme Court, underscoring years of legal battles over equitable representation in the board that manages the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects critical for irrigation and electricity across northern India.

The flashpoint erupted on October 10 when the Union Ministry of Power circulated a proposal to all four riparian states—Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh—seeking feedback on amending Section 79(2)(a) to boost whole-time members to four, directly responding to persistent demands from Rajasthan and Himachal for dedicated seats. This restructuring would install one member each from all partners, appointed by the Centre, potentially diluting Punjab and Haryana's influence in decisions affecting water allocation and project operations.

Also Read: Punjab Police Stop Newspaper Vans Overnight, Trigger Massive Censorship Outcry

Punjab's vehement opposition stems from its overwhelming 58% share in BBMB's water and power entitlements, coupled with the state's historical burden of maximum financial and operational costs for maintaining the massive dams and infrastructure. Mann argued that granting equal footing to Rajasthan and Himachal ignores this disproportionate contribution, echoing Punjab's repeated rejections of similar pleas during North Zonal Council meetings chaired by Shah himself, where the issue has simmered for years without resolution.

As BBMB continues to regulate supplies to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal, Delhi, and Chandigarh, Mann's plea to Shah carries high stakes for inter-state harmony and federal balance, warning that unchecked amendments could spark broader conflicts over shared resources. With the proposal still under consultation, Punjab hopes for swift Centre intervention to preserve the status quo, averting a legal and political showdown that could ripple through the region's fragile water-sharing dynamics.

Also Read: CM Mann Lays Foundation for Heritage Walkway in Anandpur Sahib, calls It a Divine Honor