New Delhi, October 13: The Centre has invited comments from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan on a proposal to create two additional Whole Time Member posts in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), paving the way for direct representation of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan at the top executive level.
According to a letter dated October 10 from the Ministry of Power’s BBMB Desk to the four partner states, the proposed amendment seeks to increase the number of Whole Time Members from two to four by modifying Section 79(2)(a) of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
“The Board shall consist of a Whole Time Chairman and four Whole Time Members, one each from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh,” the proposal states. Currently, the BBMB comprises a Whole Time Chairman and two Whole Time Members, both appointed by the Central Government — one traditionally from Punjab and the other from Haryana.
At present, the Board is chaired by Manoj Tripathi, with Bijender Singh (Member, Irrigation) and Jagjeet Singh (Member, Power) serving as the two Whole Time Members. These officers oversee BBMB’s core operations — the regulation of water supply from the Bhakra and Pong dams and power generation from the associated hydel projects.
Besides these three, the Board includes six other members — senior bureaucrats representing the partner states and the Centre — who put forth their respective governments’ water and power requirements.
Sources said Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have long been pressing for a stronger administrative role in BBMB’s functioning, arguing that they are key partner states in the project. However, the specific work portfolios for the proposed new members are yet to be finalised.
The move, however, has met resistance from sections within Punjab and Haryana, who contend that expanding the number of Whole Time Members could weaken their influence, despite their larger stake in BBMB’s water and power share.
In 2022, a separate controversy erupted when the Centre amended BBMB appointment rules to allow candidates from any state to be considered for the posts of Chairman and Whole Time Members — a change opposed by Punjab and Haryana, who viewed it as a breach of long-standing conventions.
If the latest proposal is approved, it would mark the first structural expansion of BBMB’s top management since its creation in 1966.
