Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema delivered an impassioned address in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today, firmly backing the resolution against the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) proposal to deploy CISF personnel at its installations. He presented a detailed historical narrative, accusing successive governments of compromising Punjab’s vital water rights and harming its agrarian backbone.
Minister Harpal Cheema began by referencing a 1954 agreement between Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, which, he said, clearly stated that Punjab was to receive two-thirds of the Yamuna’s water and UP one-third — a pact officially recorded by both states and the Centre. However, he alleged that this agreement was ignored during the 1966 reorganisation of Punjab, blaming the Congress, Akali Dal, and Jan Sangh leadership of that era for surrendering Punjab’s rightful share. He also traced the prolonged political conflict surrounding the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which led to political instability and the loss of young lives.
Further highlighting perceived injustices, Minister Harpal Cheema pointed to the 1966 Reorganization Act, which allocated 60% of Sutlej waters to Punjab and 40% to Haryana but made no mention of Ravi or Beas rivers. He also cited the 1972 Irrigation Commission’s acknowledgement of Punjab’s claim to Yamuna waters for districts like Patiala and Sangrur — now five districts — yet regretted that no political party followed through to secure these rights.
Minister Harpal Cheema condemned the 1981 agreement made during the Congress regime, in which Punjab received a mere 4 MAF out of 17 MAF of Ravi water, while Haryana and Rajasthan received 3.5 and 8.6 MAF, respectively. Calling this a massive betrayal, Cheema questioned why water from Ravi — which doesn’t even pass through Haryana or Rajasthan — was diverted to them. He directly called out past leaders, especially former Chief Minister Darbara Singh, for allowing such concessions.
Minister Harpal Cheema praised CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, noting that the current government has officially demanded 60% of Yamuna waters via a proposed Yamuna-Sutlej Link Canal. He also revealed that BBMB’s accounts haven’t been audited in 70 years, which led to the withholding of Rs 104 crore — a matter now being formally investigated at his request. He criticized earlier governments for unconditionally funding BBMB without securing Punjab’s interests.
On the CISF deployment issue, Minister Harpal Cheema revealed that it was the previous Congress government under CM Charanjit Singh Channi that gave consent in 2021 to hand over BBMB security to CISF. He defended the Punjab Police’s 70-year record of safeguarding BBMB sites and raised concerns over the Rs 50 crore yearly cost of CISF deployment, calling it unnecessary. He accused the Congress of collaborating with the BJP-led Centre to undermine Punjab’s water rights and marginalize its farmers.
Responding to criticism from Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa regarding the current government’s alleged support for expanding BSF jurisdiction, Minister Harpal Cheema clarified that this decision too was taken under the former Congress regime. He invited Bajwa to a debate and sharply criticized him for frequently shifting positions, remarking on his tendency for political “U-turns.”