With the Centre changing selection norms to allow anyone to apply for the post of chairman and full-time members of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said it was “a frighteningly grave development fraught with serious consequences for the state of Punjab.”

In a statement here this afternoon, Badal said as per the law of the country, precedents and the prevailing practices, the control of Satluj Beas headworks belongs exclusively to Punjab as a Riparian state.

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“But first they unconstitutionally took that control away from us and now they are shutting Punjab completely out of the BBMB. This is the height of injustice against us. This is also another instance of the federal principle that has been outraged repeatedly by governments at the Center. We will fight it with all the might at our disposal,” he said.

The Akali Dal president appealed to every Punjabi including the political parties to close ranks to fight for justice for the state. He said that the decision was yet another link in the long and painful chain of political, economic, and religious discrimination against Punjabis in general and the Sikhs in particular.

“Like every Punjabi, I have been shocked by the development. What was needed was to address the river waters question on the nationally and internationally accepted Riparian Principle. But what the Center is doing is to continue their systematic exploitation against the Riparian state – Punjab, to favour the non-Riparian Haryana and Rajasthan,” Badal added.

The Akali leader further said that the decision was certain to rub salt into the already festering wounds of Punjabis in general and Sikhs and other farmers in particular.

Badal warned the Center that his party would not be a mute witness to this act of grave discrimination and it would have no option but to blow the bugle for an intensive fight for federalism and save future generations from starvation.

Under the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966, the share from BBMB was divided between Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 58:42, with some share to Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh subsequently added. Till now in BBMB, while the chairman used to be from outside the partner states, posts of the two full-time members — member (power) and member
(irrigation) — have always been filled by eligible candidates of Punjab and Haryana, nominated by respective state governments.

But now the Union power ministry, vide its notification dated 23 February, has amended the selection criteria, allowing anyone to apply for these posts.