CHANDIGARH, May 22: — The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday directed the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to submit the minutes of its meetings held from April 23 onward, as it resumed hearing a contentious inter-state water dispute.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel ordered the submission ahead of the 2 p.m. hearing, following arguments by senior advocate Gurminder Singh appearing for the Punjab government.
Singh argued that both Haryana and Rajasthan had already admitted to drawing water in excess of their allocated share, while Punjab had not exceeded its quota. “The water in question belongs to Punjab’s rightful share,” he told the court.
Citing BBMB regulations, Singh pointed out that any dispute over water sharing could be escalated to the Centre, and the decision of the Union Minister of Power would be binding under the rules. However, he flagged an irregularity, stating, “The press note issued by the Centre suggests the decision was taken by the Union Home Secretary, not the designated authority.”
The court is expected to continue hearing the matter in the afternoon session, with further clarity anticipated on the role of the Centre and BBMB’s internal deliberations.
