Chandigarh, May 5: Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal today said that BBMB Authority has become merely a puppet of the union government. He emphasized that it should be restructured to safeguard the rights of Punjab. Goyal  refuses  extra water to Haryana

Punjab Asserts No Extra Water for Haryana, Slams BBMB Meeting”

Presenting the resolution in Vidhan Sabha, Barinder Kumar Goyal declared that the Punjab government cannot provide even a single drop of water from its share to Haryana. The 4,000 cusecs of water currently being provided to Haryana state for drinking purposes on humanitarian grounds will continue. Beyond this, not a single drop of water will be given. He condemned the illegally and unconstitutionally convened meeting of the BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board) called by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

  Extra water: Punjab Demands BBMB Restructuring, Questions Water Distribution

Demanding restructuring of the BBMB, he said that the current BBMB has become merely a puppet of the union government. “During meetings, no one listens to Punjab’s voice or considers its rights; therefore, the BBMB needs restructuring. The law clearly specifies how many days’ notice must be given for different types of BBMB meetings, but BBMB ignores it and illegally calls meetings at night, he said. The House directs BBMB to comply with the law in this matter.” He questioned the union government that the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers flow only through Punjab. “On what basis, then, do authorities give water from these rivers to other states? When officials signed the treaty for distributing the rivers’ water among states in 1981, they recorded and allocated a much greater volume of water than exists today. Therefore, lawmakers should draft a new treaty to govern the distribution of these rivers’ water.”

“Punjab Alleges BBMB and BJP Plot to Divert Its Water to Haryana”

He stated that the 1981 treaty specifies how much water should be given to each state. The BBMB has no right to change this. If the BBMB decides in a meeting to give one state’s rightful water to another state, such a decision would be illegal and unconstitutional. The BBMB should refrain from making such illegal decisions. Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal said, “For the past few days, the Bharatiya Janata Party through the union government, Haryana government and BBMB has been attempting to usurp Punjab’s rights. “Certain groups are attempting to divert Punjab’s share of water to Haryana by convening meetings through unconstitutional and illegal means.”. Haryana has already used all of its water share as of March 31. “The BJP wants to give Punjab’s rightful water to Haryana.”

“Punjab Expands Canal Irrigation; Stresses Ownership of Water Resources”

He said that in the last three years, Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government has endeavoured to deliver water to every field in Punjab.The authorities have undertaken extensive construction of canals and water courses. Until 2021, only 22 percent of Punjab’s area received irrigation from canal water, but today canal water reaches 60 percent of Punjab’s area.” Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal said that every drop of Punjab’s water is precious for Punjab. Punjab will no longer give its share of water to any other state. He mentioned that on April 6, 2025, Haryana state requested Punjab for drinking water. Punjab, showing magnanimity, provided 4,000 cusecs of water from its share to Haryana because our Gurus have taught us that providing water to the thirsty is a great virtue.

Punjab Opposes Water Allocation to Haryana, Demands Repeal of Dam Law

The Water Resources Minister said that Haryana has a population of 3 crores. “To fulfill the drinking and other personal needs of 3 crore people, authorities require 1700 cusecs of water.”However, Haryana asked for 4000 cusecs of water from Punjab, which we provided on humanitarian grounds. Now Haryana claims it needs 8500 cusecs. Punjab does not have surplus water to meet this demand. The BJP convened an unconstitutional and illegal BBMB meeting forcibly. They passed a resolution that Punjab will provide water to Haryana from its share. This is unacceptable to us. He outrightly rejected the Dam Safety Act-2021 and demanded that the Union Government should immediately repeal the Dam Safety Act-2021. Minister denounced the Dam Safety Act-2021 as an attack on Punjab’s rights. He stated that this law gives complete authority to the union government. It allows them to directly control rivers and dams in states, even when these dams are entirely within state boundaries. This fundamentally contradicts India’s constitutional framework and constituted a direct assault on Punjab’s constitutional rights over water.