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Govt to be formed in Punjab on March 10 to confront Bhakra Dam controversy as first challenge

 


Punjab gearing up for another confrontation with Modi government, now on Bhakra Dam issue

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

 

Punjab is already witnessing yet another agitation as the anxiety level continues to rise in the run up to March 10 when the destiny of Punjab for the next five years would be decided with the declaration of Assembly election results polling for which was held on February 20.

Spark has already been ignited in Punjab by yet another decision of the centre that divests both Punjab and Haryana of their role of the Bhakra Beas Management Board that manages the Bhakra Dam and the associated projects that are the life line of Punjab and its successor state of Haryana. The Member (Power) and Member (Irrigation) of the BBMB would now be selected from the open market rather than from just Punjab and Haryana.

Yet another issue that has riled the stakeholders is handing over security of these projects to the central forces under the Dam Safety Act that was neither opposed by the MPs from Punjab.

Both these decisions have, at the broader level, been perceived as encroachment by the centre on the rights of the states thereby the focus shifting to centre-state relations in the context of federalism.

The BBMB that is a multi-purpose project, regulates both water and power supply to the concerned states and the union territories hose share otherwise is fixed.

The farm unions in Punjab have already launched agitation on this issue in Punjab and might evolve a common platform again as against the three farm laws that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to withdraw succumbing to the pressure from more than a year long agitation that originated in Punjab but succeeded on mobilising farmers from the entire country.

It is pertinent to mention that Bhakra was the biggest project undertaken after the partition and it was mainly for Punjab with 19 per cent share of Rajasthan. The Bhakra control board was constituted in 1950 by the centre with representation from the stakeholders. This control board was assisted by the Bhakra advisory board. The Bhakra Beas Management Board replaced the Bhakra control board under Sections 78-80 of the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966. Haryana too, as a successor state, was given representation on the new body.

That arrangement that was working perfectly has now been discarded.

Punjab would have now nothing to do with its board although the state continues to bear proportionate expenses for its functioning. The notional ownership of Punjab now stands diluted  and as such, it is also an emotive issue, although the new arrangement can’t disturb states’ share in both power and water.

Of course, as apprehended by the farm unions, this decision can pave the way for privatisation of this prestigious project. This is amongst those projects that generate the cheapest power in India.

Every political party in Punjab barring the BJP has raised this issue although the protests have been organised so far only by the farm and student unions.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has raised this issue in the context of federal structure. However, the problem is that this party had voted in favour of abrogation of Article 370 that was the sharpest attack on federalism. The party was then part of the Narendra Modi government. The Anandpur Sahib Resolution that was one of the issues on which the Akali Dal had launched Dharamyudh Morcha in August 1982 essentially advocated federal structure.

The new BBMB arrangement would be a major issue to be dealt by the government that comes to the power in power on March 10 although the fight is against the centre.

As the narrative is getting focused on the hung Assembly, even the alliance between the Akali Dal and the BJP is not being ruled out.

This issue is going to pose a new challenge to the political parties in Punjab as the farm unions are already building up the pressure.

A section within the Sikh domain has been talking of federalism and the Anandpur Sahib Resolution during the farm stir. Here is an issue concerning federalism on which this section should now mobilise the people of Punjab.

 

 


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