Chandigarh: The Union Ministry of Power has finalized the process to include Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh as permanent members of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), a move that has sparked strong opposition from the Punjab government. According to sources, the Centre plans to amend Section 79(2)(a) of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, to increase the number of permanent whole-time members from two to four. This legislative shift follows a recent notification on April 13, 2026, which effectively ended the decades-old practice of reserving the posts of Member (Power) and Member (Irrigation) exclusively for officers from Punjab and Haryana.
The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has formally registered its protest through multiple letters to the Union Ministry of Power and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Punjab argues that since the validity of Sections 78 and 79 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court (Civil Petition 2 of 2007), the Centre should refrain from making any unilateral amendments until a final verdict is delivered. The state administration contends that Rajasthan is not a successor state under the 1966 Act and therefore does not hold a legal claim to permanent membership, especially since its representatives already participate in board meetings as ex-officio members.
Financial concerns have also been raised, as Punjab currently bears 60% of the expenses for the Bhakra project and 40% of the overall BBMB costs. The state officials argue that adding more permanent members will impose an unnecessary financial burden on Punjab’s exchequer without a proportional increase in operational necessity or voting weight. CM Mann has reiterated that the existing board structure is sufficient for handling current responsibilities and that the proposed changes represent an “incremental federal erosion” and a dilution of Punjab’s rightful terminal rights over its river waters and power management.
