The North News
Chandigarh, May 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the Union Government, the Haryana Government, and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) following a petition by the Punjab Government seeking a recall of the court’s May 6 order directing the release of additional water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam to Haryana. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel has asked all parties to respond by May 20, the date of the next hearing.
The Punjab Government has raised serious objections to the water allocation process, contending that the Union Home Secretary acted beyond his jurisdiction under the BBMB Rules by directing the additional release of water. The state argues that such authority lies instead with the Secretary of Power and any inter-state water dispute must be resolved through a legally constituted Water Tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
Appearing for Punjab, senior counsel Gurminder Singh, along with Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi and Additional Advocate General Chanchal Singla, alleged that BBMB officials misrepresented facts in order to implement what they called an illegal order to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water daily to Haryana over an eight-day period.
The state emphasised that it had already consented to supply 4,000 cusecs of water per day to Haryana. At an emergency BBMB meeting held on April 28, Punjab formally objected to Haryana’s request for 8,500 cusecs of water. According to Punjab, no consensus was reached at that meeting, yet the Centre proceeded to act on Haryana’s demand.
In its review petition filed on May 12, Punjab accused the BBMB and Union Government of procedural violations. The petition contends that the May 2 meeting, used as a basis for the court’s May 6 order, was not convened under Rule 7 of the 1974 Rules and produced no formal minutes. Instead, only a press note was circulated, which Punjab argues cannot serve as an official record of decisions.
When asked by the court, the Union Government failed to provide proper documentation of the meeting, submitting only a “discussion record.” Punjab maintains that decisions made without following the due process are not legally binding and accused the BBMB of acting under political pressure from the BJP-led central government to divert water unlawfully.
The court has also listed, for the same date, a contempt case initiated against the Punjab Government for allegedly failing to comply with its earlier directions.
Punjab is now urging the judiciary to reconsider the May 6 order, citing misrepresentation and lack of legal authority in the original decision-making process.
