India News | AAP to Submit Memorandums over BBMB Member Appointment Issue

Chandigarh, Mar 1 (PTI) The AAP will submit memorandums to deputy commissioners of various districts in Punjab on Wednesday in protest against the Centre's recent decision of making changes in rules for selection of two Bhakra Beas Management Board functionaries.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Harpal Cheema on Tuesday said the memorandums will be handed over to the deputy commissioners for further sending them to the governor.

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He said that his party would demand that the governor present these memorandums to Prime Minister Narendra Modi “to uphold the rights of the state, and the Union government should immediately stop their attacks on the rights of Punjab”.

In a statement issued here, Cheema said the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) was established under the 'Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966' and since 1967, its two members belonged to Punjab and Haryana as these two states were major stakeholders.

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“But now Punjab's representation in the BBMB is being abolished,” he alleged.

“The importance of Punjab is being diminished from the management of the board,” the AAP leader said.

The recent change in the rules for the appointment of BBMB's two members has kicked up a row with several political leaders in Punjab strongly opposing this move of the Centre.

The BBMB, which is a statutory body under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and manages the water resources of Sutlej and Beas, has a whole-time chairman and two members—member (irrigation) and member (power).

According to convention, the member (power) is always from Punjab and the member (irrigation) from Haryana, and they are selected from a panel of senior engineers.

But now the changes in the rules for selection criteria allows anyone to apply for these posts.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)