DISBAND BBMB – SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL

Chandigarh , July 21
Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal and SAD nominee for Jalalabad Assembly by-election today demanded immediate disbanding of Bhakra Beas Management Board, for its failure to judiciously distribute water from Bhakra and Pong Dam reservoirs to member states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and releasing more water to Congress ruled state Rajasthan. He demanded that control of BBMB be handed over to Punjab, the parent state.
Speaking in various rallies in Jalalabad constituency, the SAD President charged Congress ruled Union Government of using every trick to rob Punjab of its legitimate share of water and pressurizing BBMB to dance to its tunes. He said that Rajasthan was released extra 2.6 lakh cusecs of water during the period May 1 to 20, 2009 from Pong Dam reservoir. He said that this extra supply of water to Rajasthan, that too during the peak summer, caused adverse effect on standing crops of Punjab, resulting in great loss to Punjab farmers. He said that depleted level of Pong reservoir was resulting in low generation of power, causing severe power shortage in Punjab.

Mr. Badal said that Punjab was already reeling under severe draught and this suffering was further compounded by low power allocation by the Union Government. He said that this deliberate act of BBMB of releasing water to congress ruled state Rajisthan, besides aggravating problem for draught hit farmers of Punjab may also even lead to unprecedented power crises even during coming winters. Mr. Badal pointed out that Congress Party since independence had done injustice to Punjab, especially in the area of water distribution amongst the states. He said that Shiromani Akali Dal had been launching sustained struggle against Congress ruled Union Government to enforce riparian principal of water distribution and this injustice of releasing extra water to Rajasthan can not be compromised at any cost.
Demanding immediate disbanding of BBMB for its failure to discharge its function judiciously, Mr. Badal said that the control of the Board be handed over to the parent state Punjab without any delay.