SANGRUR/CHANDIGARH, May 22: — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday objected to the Union government’s decision to deploy 296 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel to guard the Nangal dam, questioning both the necessity and financial implications of the move.
“Punjab Police has already been securing the dam without any cost. What is the need to spend crores on CISF personnel?” Mann asked during a press conference in Sangrur. “We will neither let this money come from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) nor from the Punjab state exchequer.”
The Centre recently sanctioned a CISF contingent to provide security at the Nangal dam amid a growing water-sharing dispute between Punjab and Haryana. The BBMB has been directed to deposit ₹8.58 crore for the deployment, at a cost of ₹2.9 lakh per CISF jawan.
The chief minister criticized the decision as “unnecessary” and claimed it placed an unwarranted financial strain on the state. “This is not about security. What is the real motive behind this?” he asked. “Is the Centre planning to steal Punjab’s water? We will not allow this.”
Mann also announced that he would raise the issue directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for Saturday. While he acknowledged the importance of maintaining federal harmony, Mann stressed that Punjab would resist any unjust impositions.
“I believe in good Centre-state relations,” he said, “but if the Centre refuses to listen to our concerns, then we are Punjabis — we will fight back.”
Security at the Nangal dam, located 13 kilometers downstream of the Bhakra dam, has so far been managed by Punjab Police. The state had already intensified security earlier this month after refusing to release additional water to Haryana.
Mann also questioned whether Punjab BJP leaders, including state party chief Sunil Jakhar, supported the Centre’s move. “Did the BJP’s Punjab unit agree to this decision? The dam is within our jurisdiction. If Punjab can protect the international border, why can’t it protect its own dam?”
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions over river water distribution, a longstanding issue between Punjab and Haryana.
