Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Water Row: Punjab seeks adjournment of BBMB meeting citing Vidhan Sabha session, cites legal provision
Ravi Jakhu
Chandigarh, May 3, 2025:The Punjab government has formally requested the adjournment of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) meeting scheduled for May 3, 2025, citing the upcoming Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on May 5 and the preparations required for the same.
In an official communication, Punjab authorities have pointed to procedural lapses in the recent convening of BBMB meetings and have invoked Regulation 3 of the BBMB Regulations, 1976, issued under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, to justify their request.
According to Regulation 3, any special meeting of the Board to transact urgent business must be convened with a minimum of seven days’ notice. However, the Punjab government has noted that notices for earlier BBMB meetings—held on April 28 and April 30—were issued only a day prior, violating the stipulated timeframe.
“The decisions taken in those meetings are therefore not in accordance with the law,” the letter stated, urging that the upcoming meeting be postponed and due procedure be followed as per Regulation 3.
The request has been issued with the approval of the competent authority, and the Punjab government has stressed the importance of maintaining legal sanctity in the functioning of inter-state institutions like BBMB.
The BBMB, which manages water and power distribution from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects among partner states, has become the focal point of renewed tensions between Punjab and Haryana, particularly around water-sharing issues.