BBMB won’t release single drop from Punjab’s share, says Bittu
In a statement, Bittu said he spoke to the BBMB chairman, who assured him that no additional water from Punjab’s quota was being released.
Amid the row over water sharing between Punjab and Haryana, Union minister and BJP Rajya Sabha member Ravneet Singh Bittu on Thursday claimed that not a single drop of the border state’s share of water will be released by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
His remarks came even as the BBMB decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana at a meeting held here on Wednesday.
In a statement, Bittu said he spoke to the BBMB chairman, who assured him that no additional water from Punjab’s quota was being released.
Bittu said when he was the Anandpur Sahib MP, he participated in BBMB meetings and was well-acquainted with its operations.
He emphasised that the water-sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana is already pending before the Supreme Court, and if Haryana requires more water, it should approach the court accordingly.
“As a Union minister, I categorically state that Punjab’s rightful share of water will not be released under any circumstances,” said Bittu, the Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries.
Bittu, however, criticised Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann for allegedly “dramatising” the water issue for “political gains”.
Bittu described Mann’s “outcry” on the water issue as “theatrical” and “politically motivated”, calling it a “distraction” at a time when the nation stands united on national security matters.
