The Punjab Vidhan Sabha held a special session on Monday to discuss the ongoing dispute over river water sharing and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). The session began with tributes to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.
After that, Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal presented a resolution that strongly opposed giving extra water to Haryana. The resolution accused the BJP, through its Central Government, Haryana Government, and the BBMB, of trying to take away Punjab’s water unfairly. BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma objected to the mention of his party in the resolution.
Main points of the resolution:
1. Punjab will not give even a single drop of water beyond the 4,000 cusecs already provided for drinking. This will continue only as a humanitarian gesture.
2. The House strongly condemned the BJP for calling an illegal and unconstitutional BBMB meeting to divert Punjab’s water.
3. Punjab claimed BBMB is acting under BJP pressure and not protecting Punjab’s rights. The state wants the board to be reorganised.
4. Punjab wants a new agreement on river water sharing, saying the 1981 treaty overestimated the available water.
5. The BBMB is accused of calling meetings without proper notice. Punjab demands the board follow legal procedures.
6. The resolution says BBMB cannot alter water shares between states. Any such move is unconstitutional.
7. Punjab calls the 2021 Dam Safety Act an attack on state rights. It gives the Centre too much control over state dams, which Punjab opposes and wants repealed.
The Punjab government said every drop of its water is precious, as it is now able to provide canal water to nearly 60% of its farmland—up from 22% in 2021. The Assembly declared it will not compromise on Punjab’s water rights.
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