Latest News | Power Engineers' Body Urges Centre to Pursue Punjab, Haryana to Nominate Members for BBM Board

New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has urged the Union power ministry to pursue Punjab and Haryana for nominating candidates for their appointments as members in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

AIPEF has urged the Union power minister to fill the posts of Member (Power) and Member (Irrigation) on nomination basis from Punjab and Haryana respectively at the earliest, an AIPEF statement said.

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Padamjit Singh, Chief Patron, AIPEF, has shot off a letter to power minister R K Singh on April 10 and demanded that Punjab and Haryana should be directed to form a panel of 2 or 3 senior power engineers and irrigation engineers, respectively, as per previous practice so that the ministry of power can select Member (Power) and Member (Irrigation) of BBMB.

The Punjab Reorganization Act 1966 makes it clear that since posts of Chairman, Member (Irrigation) and Member (Power) are whole time, these posts must be occupied on a full time basis without any dual charge.

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The body said that on 30th December, the government approved the current duty charge (CDC) of the post of Member (Power) to S S Dhadwal, Chief Engineer Generation, till the date of his superannuation on February 28.

Similarly S D Sharma, Chief Engineer, BSL project, has been given the current duty charge for a maximum period of six month (for Member-Irrigation).

The term of BBMB Chairman is also expiring on Ist July and the government has reportedly received 25 applications for the post, it stated.

The new Chairman of BBMB should be selected before the expiry of term, the body pleaded.

The post of Member (Power) of BBMB has been lying vacant since February 28.

The post of Member (Irrigation) is also lying vacant as dual charge has been given to Chief Engineer BSL, it stated.

"It seems that from 1st July, the BBMB would be without Chairman, or Member (Power) or Member (Irrigation). This is against the Punjab Reorganization Act 1966," it stated.

The government of India must complete the selection process in time to avoid an approaching crisis in the BBMB during the paddy season, it stated.

(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)