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Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Harpal Cheema lauds rare unanimity on all legislative matters during special assembly session
Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday said that all bills and resolutions presented by the state government were passed unanimously during the four-day session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Finance minister Harpal Cheema . (Ravi Kumar/HT) Calling it a unique and historic achievement, Cheema attributed this remarkable consensus to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's focus on the welfare and progress of the populace of the state. 'In my two terms in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, I have never before witnessed such complete unanimity on all legislative matters. This signalled the meticulously planned and honest approach of the state government in guiding Punjab towards new heights of development,' he claimed at a press conference here. The finance minister elaborated that the assembly session was extended by two days on its very first day, facilitating thorough discussions on crucial bills and allowing for meaningful contributions from the opposition. He specifically mentioned 'The Punjab Prevention of Crime Against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025', which, following an extended discussion, was unanimously referred to a select committee. He further noted the unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by water resources minister Barinder Goyal on the second day of the session, which opposed the deployment of CISF personnel in BBMB establishments. Pointing out that the Congress party had given its consent for CISF security to BBMB in 2021, he commended the party for rectifying its previous stance by supporting the state government's resolution, which was passed with full consensus. He further stated that all parties unanimously pledged their cooperation in eradicating the drug menace from the state.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Divided on FIR, united on water: Punjab assembly rejects CISF deployment at Bhakra Beas Management Board projects
Chandigarh: The Punjab assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the proposed deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at vital Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) installations. The state govt asserted Punjab police's capability to secure these projects, calling the central force's deployment an unnecessary financial burden, adding that providing security at these installations falls in the state's jurisdiction. The House recommended that the Punjab govt formally take up the matter with the Government of India and relevant ministries, urging both the Centre and BBMB to refrain from deploying CISF personnel at "Bhakra Dam projects and other hydro projects of BBMB." In May, the union ministry of home affairs (MHA) sanctioned a contingent of 296 personnel for the security of the Bhakra-Nangal Dam project at Nangal. The resolution, moved by water resources minister Barinder Goyal, underlined Punjab's "strong reservations" against the CISF deployment, a stance formally conveyed to the BBMB in letters dated May 27 and July 4, 2025. The resolution stated that the BBMB was "contemplating to go ahead with the deployment of CISF despite strong reservations/objections by Punjab." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The assembly's resolution stated its "unanimous rejection" of the CISF proposal, affirming the current state police arrangement's efficiency and cost-effectiveness. It highlighted that the CISF deployment would incur an additional financial implication of Rs 49.32 crore per annum, a cost Punjab is unwilling to bear. The resolution declared that if BBMB proceeds with CISF deployment, Punjab would not incur any financial burden from it. The Punjab police, it noted, secured these installations for nearly 70 years without any security lapse as the force was well-versed in local conditions. Speaking on the resolution, chief minister Bhagwant Mann opposed the move to deploy the CISF, saying, "If we can safeguard the borders, we can protect the dams too. The Punjab police is already assisting the BSF at the international border without any compensation." He also criticised the Centre for demanding fees for paramilitary forces in a border state, citing a Rs 7.5 crore demand after the Dinanagar (Pathankot) terrorist attack in 2015, calling it "unfortunate and illogical" for a state whose sons make ultimate sacrifices. Hitting out at the Centre, he added, "Are we here to fight and die? They ask us to fight Pakistan and then be alright." Mann also reiterated that Punjab has "no spare water to share with any other state," calling water an emotive issue. He lamented that despite the state's water history beginning in 1955, no review of water allocation, ideally due every 25 years, has taken place. Mann also highlighted the recent suspension of the Indus Water Treaty as an opportunity for Punjab to gain an additional 23 MAF of water from western rivers. Calling BBMB a "white elephant," Mann demanded its reconstitution, asserting that despite Punjab's 60% share, the board consistently acts against the state's interests, even using Punjab's own funds to file cases against it. He accused opposition parties of being "non-serious" on river water issues, implicitly criticising former CM Capt Amarinder Singh for allegedly causing "irreparable damage" despite being hailed as a "saviour of water. " Tracing the history of the water dispute, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema claimed that Punjab had been systematically deprived of its rightful share of water, including the alleged disregard of a 1954 Yamuna water agreement, the arbitrary Sutlej water division in the 1966 Reorganization Act, and the "colossal betrayal" of the 1981 Ravi water agreement that disproportionately favoured Haryana and Rajasthan. "In 2021, the then-Congress govt, led by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, agreed to hand over security of BBMB establishments to the CISF," he said. Cabinet minister Aman Arora also spoke on the resolution and blamed the Congress for allowing the Centre to expand the Border Security Force's (BSF) jurisdiction in Punjab along the international border from 15 km to 50 km in 2021. Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa sought to clarify that the previous Congress govt moved the Supreme Court against the Centre's notification. The resolution comes against the backdrop of a recent standoff between Punjab and Haryana over water allocation from the Nangal reservoir, further escalating tensions between the state and the Centre. BOX: Pending Audit, BBMB's Rs 104Cr Held Back During the debate, Cheema said CM Mann has now formally demanded the construction of a Yamuna-Sutlej Link Canal to secure Punjab's 60% share of Yamuna water. He also informed that Rs 104 crore in BBMB funds have been withheld pending an audit, which has not occurred in 70 years. Criticising the previous Congress govt for agreeing to CISF deployment in 2021, Cheema alleged a "conspiracy" between the then-state Congress and the BJP at the Centre to undermine Punjab's farmer interests, particularly regarding the substantial Rs 50 crore annual cost of CISF deployment.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Punjab House passes resolution against CISF deployment at Bhakra-Nangal project
The Punjab Assembly Friday unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Centre's proposed deployment of CISF personnel at the Bhakra-Nangal dam project, and said if the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) went ahead with the move, the state government would not bear any financial burden arising out of it. Moving the resolution on the second day of the special session of the Vidhan Sabha, Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal said Punjab had re-examined the issue and conveyed to the BBMB on May 27 and July 4 its strong reservations against the deployment of CISF. Amid a standoff between Punjab and Haryana over the sharing of waters from the Nangal Dam, the Centre in May this year had sanctioned a contingent of 296 armed CISF personnel for providing a counter-terrorist security cover to the project — a move that was opposed by the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state. If the CISF personnel are deployed, Punjab, being a partner state of BBMB, will also have to bear part of the cost. During the discussion on the resolution, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed the BBMB a 'white elephant' and said it needs to be reconstituted. 'Punjab has 60 per cent share in BBMB, yet it moved court against us for not sharing water with Haryana. Deploying CISF will cost `97,000 per head, which amounts to more than Rs 43 crore annually. We will not bear this cost,' he said. In its communication in May, the Union Ministry had asked the BBMB to provide boarding, lodging and other logistics for the CISF personnel. The communication quoted a security deposit of `2,90,100 per head and asked the BBMB to transfer `8,58,69,600 (for 296 personnel) to CISF headquarters. The Leader of Opposition, Congress' Partap Bajwa, supported the resolution but asked the government to also bring a resolution against deployment of CISF at the secretariat. 'All the ministers sit in the secretariat, which is guarded by CISF. Why should they allow CISF to guard the installation. We should have Punjab Police guard it,' he said. Opposition members including Shiromani Akali Dal's Gurpreet Singh Ayali, and BJP's Jangi Lal Mahajan also supported the resolution.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Punjab Assembly unanimously passes resolution against CISF deployment at Bhakra-Nangal dam
The Punjab Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution, rejecting the Centre's proposed deployment of CISF personnel at the Bhakra-Nangal dam project of the Bhakra Beas Management Board ( BBMB ). The resolution stated that if the BBMB deploys CISF personnel, the Punjab government will not bear any financial burden arising from such deployment. The resolution against the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was moved by Cabinet Minister Barider Goyal during the second day of the special session of the Punjab Assembly here on Friday. As per the resolution, Punjab has re-examined the issue of deployment of CISF and had already conveyed to the BBMB on May 27 and July 4, expressing its strong reservations against the deployment of CISF. In May, the Centre had sanctioned a contingent of 296 armed CISF personnel for providing a counter-terrorist security cover to the Nangal dam in Punjab amid the standoff between Punjab and Haryana over the sharing of water from the dam. Live Events But the AAP government in Punjab opposed any move to deploy the CISF at the dams in the state. Participating in the discussion on the resolution on Friday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab Police is capable of protecting the dams in the state. Opposing the move of the Union government to deploy the CISF at the dams in the state, Mann said the state government is duty bound to ensure that this never becomes a reality. He called the BBMB a "white elephant" and sought it be reconstituted. He said Punjab has 60 per cent share in BBMB but it always "works" against the interests of the state, adding that the board even files cases against the state government for which funds are taken from Punjab. This is "unwarranted and undesirable", he said, adding that it will not be tolerated at any cost because no one can be allowed to jeopardise the interests of the state. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Rs 104 crore of BBMB funds have been withheld over the last nine months due to lack of any audit in the past 70 years, a process he has now requested for. He criticised previous governments for continually funding BBMB without safeguarding Punjab's interests. Cheema said in 2021, the then-Congress government agreed to hand over the security of BBMB establishments to CISF. He stressed that Punjab Police has commendably managed its security for the past 70 years, and questioned the necessity and the substantial annual financial burden of approximately Rs 50 crore that CISF deployment would incur. He accused the Congress of "conspiring" with the central government to "undermine" Punjab's water rights, alleging a "joint plot" by the then-Congress state government and the BJP central government to compromise the interests of the state's farmers. Participating in the debate, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora noted that three out of the four partner states in BBMB had given consent for the deployment of central forces during the Congress' term. "It is understood that the BBMB is contemplating to go ahead with the deployment of CISF despite strong reservations/objections by the state of Punjab. Even in the last meeting of the BBMB held on July 4, Punjab had raised its objections very strongly," read the resolution. "The state police posted at the installations is well versed with the local conditions and have been serving the projects for last so many years. As regards technology, Punjab Police is well experienced to use the latest technology. Further, Punjab Police has experience of facing such situations at the borders also. The force is as professional as any other force in the country," it said. The deployment of CISF will increase the unnecessary and avoidable financial burden on Punjab and on other partner states. Punjab, being the major contributor to the expenditure of the BBMB, will have to bear this additional expenditure also, it said. "The installations are within the territorial jurisdiction of Punjab or Himachal Pradesh. It is the duty of the state government concerned to maintain the law and order and also provide security to these installations within their respective jurisdiction as per law," said the resolution. It said that as per the recent proposals, the additional financial implication due to deployment of CISF is going to be Rs 49.32 crore per annum. "The state of Punjab is also maintaining two other dams namely Ranjit Sagar Dam and Shahpurkandi Dam. The security of these dams is more serious than the BBMB installations as these dams are very near to the international border. The security of these dams is being maintained by Punjab Police and the state government," said the resolution.
News18
11-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Punjab Assembly Passes Resolution Against CISF Deployment At Bhakra-Nangal Dam
Last Updated: The Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against CISF deployment at Bhakra-Nangal Dam, insisting on Punjab Police protection. AAP ministers criticized the previous Congress govt. The Punjab Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution against the deployment of CISF personnel at the Bhakra-Nangal Dam project of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), saying the state police has been duly protecting the installations for the last 70 years. The resolution stated that if the BBMB deploys CISF personnel, the Punjab government will not bear any financial burden arising from such deployment. The resolution against the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was moved by Cabinet Minister Barinder Goyal during the second day of the special session of the Punjab Assembly. The move has stirred a political flashpoint, as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers criticised the previous Congress government for approving central security deployment and associated financial commitments. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema told the House that the earlier Congress-led administration had consented in 2021 to the CISF deployment and agreed to bear half the cost-amounting to Rs 50 crore. The resolution introduced by Punjab Cabinet Minister Barinder Goyal calls on the Centre and the BBMB to withdraw the CISF deployment and instead utilise Punjab Police personnel for dam security. The issue has become pressing after the Home Ministry approved the deployment of CISF personnel at the Bhakra Dam in Nangal, sanctioning 296 positions and instructing the BBMB to arrange necessary facilities, including accommodation, transportation, communication equipment, and security gear. This comes amid a standoff between Punjab and Haryana over water allocation from the Nangal reservoir, with the BBMB, a central body, overseeing water and power projects among Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh. AAP MLAs argued that CISF deployment was both financially burdensome and an encroachment on the state's rights, pointing out that the expense of housing and equipping CISF personnel would ultimately fall on Punjab's exchequer. The debate turned confrontational when Congress MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, accused the government of 'double standards." Bajwa questioned why the Punjab Police was deemed sufficient for dam security but not for other sensitive locations like the Vidhan Sabha itself, which remains under central protection. Bajwa countered Cheema's allegations about Congress supporting gangsters, saying he wasn't allowed to respond, sparking heated exchanges and disruptions in the House. view comments First Published: July 11, 2025, 21:25 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
