CHANDIGARH, May 14 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the state of Haryana, and the Union of India to respond to Punjab’s plea seeking modification of a May 6 court order in the ongoing water-sharing dispute. The court has advanced the next hearing to May 20.
“Let reply to this application preferred by the state of Punjab be filed by the non-applicant/petitioner Board as well as the state of Haryana and Union of India, before the date fixed,” said the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel.
Punjab moved the court just two days ago, seeking recall or modification of the May 6 order, which had directed it to comply with a decision purportedly made during a May 2 meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary regarding the release of an additional 4,500 cusecs of water to Haryana.
Represented by senior advocate and former advocate-general Gurminder Singh, Punjab argued that the court had been misled into believing that a valid decision was taken during that meeting.
A press note submitted earlier had also contributed to the impression that the May 2 discussions had formal backing and legal authority.
Punjab’s counsel contended that the direction issued on May 6 was based on factually incorrect and legally unsustainable submissions made by BBMB, Haryana, and the Union government.
The state pointed to a letter dated May 9, along with an undated record of discussions from the May 2 meeting, which the Union of India later placed before the court.
According to Punjab, the documents clarified that the Union Home Secretary does not possess the statutory authority to decide on inter-state water allocations, as required under existing legal frameworks.
Moreover, the minutes of the May 2 meeting had not been circulated to the states before May 9, further undermining the basis of the court’s earlier order.
“It is amply clear that the direction is based on non-disclosure of true facts by the parties concerned. It was causing undue harassment and irreparable loss to the state,” the petition stated.
“Once it is admitted that the Home Secretary is not the competent authority under the relevant rules, the state is not legally bound to comply with the direction.”
The court will now hear the matter on May 20, eight days ahead of the originally scheduled date of May 28, as it considers Punjab’s claims and awaits responses from the other stakeholders.
Read more: Punjab Ministers Protest BBMB Water Release to Haryana
