Punjab Archives - Page 53 of 59

06 May

Centre Orders Mock Drills in These Districts of Punjab Amid Rising Indo-Pak Tensions

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabMock Drills, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): In light of rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held a high-level emergency preparedness meeting on Monday, where strategies were finalized for conducting nationwide mock drills, with a particular focus on border states like Punjab. The meeting, held at North Block and chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, saw participation from Chief Secretaries of all states, senior officers of paramilitary forces, and Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards, IPS Vivek Srivastava. Representatives from all 244 civil defence districts across the country also joined the deliberations.…

05 May

‘White Elephant BBMB Must Go’: CM Bhagwant Mann Slams Centre Over Punjab’s Water Woes

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann came out all guns blazing in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday, as he led a fiery charge against the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the Central Government over what he called a “systematic betrayal” of Punjab’s water rights. Speaking during a special session where the House unanimously passed a resolution rejecting BBMB's controversial order to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana, CM Mann tore into the Board's functioning and called for its complete reconstitution. “Punjab has always stood at the forefront—whether it was the freedom struggle or feeding the nation.…

05 May

BBMB Drags Punjab Govt to Court, Alleges ‘Forceful Takeover’ of Nangal Dam

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBBMB, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): In a dramatic turn in the escalating water conflict, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has taken legal action against the Punjab Government, accusing it of a forceful and unconstitutional occupation of the Nangal Bhakra Dam using state police forces. Filing a petition in the High Court, BBMB has demanded the immediate removal of Punjab Police deployed in the vicinity of the Bhakra Nangal headworks, calling their presence a “blatant overreach.” BBMB alleges that Punjab Police personnel have occupied key installations at the dam site, disrupting BBMB's authority and compromising the neutrality of a central water management…

05 May

Punjab Assembly Passes Resolution Against BBMB Over Water Release to Haryana

nishuthapar10 CommentsPunjabBBMB, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): Amid escalating concerns over depleting water resources, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Bhakra Beas Management Board’s (BBMB) directive to release an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana. Introduced by Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, the resolution highlighted that Punjab is battling a severe water crisis, with 115 out of 153 blocks facing groundwater depletion, and is in no position to provide further water to neighboring states. Minister Goyal pointed out that Haryana has already exhausted its annual water quota, and an earlier release of 4,000 cusecs had already…

05 May

Punjab Assembly Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack, Pays Tribute to Departed Leaders

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabPahalgam terror attack, Punjab, Punjab News

Chandigarh (National Times): The Punjab Vidhan Sabha, during a special session held on Monday, paid heartfelt tributes to several notable personalities who recently passed away and strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people. The House observed a solemn two-minute silence to honour the memory of former MP Master Bhagat Ram Ji, ex-minister Randhir Singh Cheema, and other prominent figures from different walks of life. The MLAs also remembered the civilians who lost their lives in the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan expressed the collective grief of the…

03 May

Punjab Likely to Boycott BBMB Meeting Amid SYL Canal Row

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBBMB meeting, Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini, Punjab, SYL Canal, water dispute

Chandigarh, May 3, 2025 — The Punjab government is reportedly preparing to boycott the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) meeting scheduled for 5 PM today, intensifying the ongoing dispute over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and water-sharing issues.The decision, yet to be officially confirmed, follows an all-party meeting in Haryana earlier today where leaders unanimously demanded the implementation of the BBMB’s April 23 decision to release Haryana’s share of river water. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini accused Punjab of acting “unconstitutionally” by allegedly holding back the agreed water quota.Sources suggest that Punjab’s absence from the key BBMB meeting could…

02 May

Water Dispute Escalates Between Punjab and Haryana, Centre Calls Emergency Meeting

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, PunjabHaryana, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): In response to mounting discord between Punjab and Haryana over the BBMB's directive to release 8,500 cusecs of additional water to Haryana, the Union Government has convened an emergency meeting of top officials from four northern states. The meeting is scheduled for May 2 in Delhi and will include Chief Secretaries from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan will head the high-level meeting. Since Punjab’s Chief Secretary is currently on leave, the state will be represented by Additional Chief Secretary Alok Shekhar and Krishan Kumar, Principal Secretary for Water Resources. The water-sharing…

01 May

Punjab Leaders Protest Centre’s Forced Water Allocation to Haryana

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPunjabBhagwant Mann, Bhakra Dam, Haryana, Punjab, water dispute

Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, May 1:Today, senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party staged a strong protest at Phase 7 lights in Mohali against the Centre’s decision to release additional water from Bhakra Dam to Haryana by force.District Planning Committee Chairperson and AAP’s District President Prabhjot Kaur stated that the Centre is behaving unjustly with Punjab and that the Punjab government will not allow even a single drop of its water to go to waste. She made it clear that the Bhagwant Singh Mann government will not tolerate any plundering of Punjab’s water. She pointed out that although Haryana had…

01 May

Haryana Officer Replaces Punjab’s Akashdeep at BBMB Nangal Amidst Growing Water Tensions

nishuthapar10 CommentsPunjabBBMB, Haryana, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): A key reshuffle at the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has raised eyebrows in Punjab amid an intensifying water-sharing conflict with neighboring Haryana. Punjab cadre Superintendent Engineer Akashdeep, who held the dual responsibilities of Director NHP at BBMB Chandigarh and Director Water Regulation at BBMB Nangal, has been abruptly transferred. He will now serve as Director Dam Safety at BBMB Nangal. Taking his place is Sanjeev Kumar, a Haryana cadre officer, who will now oversee water regulation duties at Nangal Dam in addition to his role as Director NHP. The timing of the transfer has sparked outrage…

01 May

Political Row Erupts After BBMB Okays More Water to Haryana, Punjab Protests

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsHaryana, PunjabBBMB, Haryana, Punjab

Chandigarh (National Times): In a decision that has sparked sharp backlash from Punjab, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has approved the immediate release of 8,500 cusecs of water from the Bhakra Dam to Haryana, citing humanitarian concerns amid the latter’s reported water shortage. The decision was taken during a lengthy technical committee meeting chaired by BBMB Chairman Manoj Tripathi. While Punjab opposed the move, stating that no surplus water was available, it found itself isolated as BJP-ruled Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi collectively pushed the demand through. Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh remained neutral. Haryana officials, led by Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief…