Deploy CISF at Bhakra-Nangal dam: Surjewala to Centre
Party general secretary and former Haryana power minister Randeep Singh Surjewala at a press briefing said it is for the first time in the history of India that a state has taken over a central project in this manner by deploying police force
The Congress on Sunday asked the Union government to deploy the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to guard the Bhakra Nangal dam in wake of Punjab Police seizing the control of Bhakra headworks at Nangal.
Party general secretary and former Haryana power minister Randeep Singh Surjewala at a press briefing said it is for the first time in the history of India that a state has taken over a central project in this manner by deploying police force. “Through sheer bullying, the Punjab government has prevented the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), a body constituted under an Act of Parliament, from taking decisions. The responsibility of the security and control of the dam lies with the Union home ministry,’’ Surjewala said.
The former Haryana minister said despite the meeting by Union home ministry on May 2, the Punjab Police has not handed over the control of the regulator gates and operation of the Bhakra Nangal dam to the central government.
“Even the BBMB chairman has written to the Union home ministry stating that CISF should be deployed for the security of the dam. But no action has been taken so far. The central government is maintaining silence on this issue,’’ Surjewala said.
The Congress MP said that after refusing to comply with the BBMB’s decision to allocate 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, the Punjab government on May 1 deployed police at the Bhakra Nangal dam and locked the entire system from where water is released through the regulator gates. “The Punjab police took the keys in their possession so that water to Haryana cannot be released,’’ he said.
The Congress MP said there is a severe shortage of drinking water in Haryana now. “About 215 water works have dried up and ten districts - Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Dadri, Rewari and Mahendragarh are suffering due to acute water crisis. In the scorching heat, the village ponds have also almost dried up. The tanker mafia dominates the entire state and ₹1,000 is being charged per tanker,’’ he said.
Surjewala said the attitude of the BJP government at the Centre is even more shocking. “The Union power ministry headed by former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has direct control over BBMB. The dam is under BBMB and the Union ministry of power. The BBMB has the authority to decide the release of share of water for Punjab and Haryana. But in the midst of all this, the power ministry and Manohar Lal Khattar are nowhere to be seen,’’ he said. The Congress leader expressed surprise at the fact that the Prime Minister and power minister are not calling a meeting of Punjab and Haryana to resolve this matter.
