The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), a critical institution that oversees the distribution of water and electricity generated from the Bhakra and Beas river systems, is facing an unsettling situation. Hundreds of positions meant to represent Punjab’s interests remain unfilled — a development that has raised eyebrows across the state. Even more concerning is the continued inaction by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who has yet to ensure that Punjab’s quota of officials is appointed to the BBMB.
As per current data, a staggering 2,550 posts allocated to Punjab in the BBMB remain vacant. In the Irrigation Wing — responsible for managing the lifelines of Punjab’s agriculture — nearly 60% of Punjab’s quota remains unfilled. The situation is even more dire in the Power Wing, where approximately 73% of Punjab’s allotted positions are still lying vacant.
These vacancies are not just numbers on paper. They reflect Punjab’s diminishing representation in a body that directly impacts the state’s control over its water and energy resources. Officers appointed by the state to BBMB are meant to safeguard Punjab’s stakes and ensure that decisions about water distribution and power generation are taken with its interests in mind. Without these officers, Punjab’s voice is significantly weakened at decision-making tables.
This lack of appointments has led to growing criticism of the Mann government. Many now question how a government that once projected itself as the “guardian of Punjab’s waters” can remain so indifferent. In fact, the public discourse is shifting — with some sarcastically calling them “guardians of Delhi’s interests” instead.
To Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the questions from Punjab’s people are straightforward: Why are 2,550 quota posts still vacant? Why has there been no effort to fill over 60% of the irrigation wing’s positions? And why are 73% of Punjab’s posts in the power wing still unassigned?
What’s truly at stake here is not just bureaucratic appointments, but Punjab’s future access to and control over its essential resources. Every unfilled post represents a missed opportunity to assert the state’s rightful claims. It compromises decision-making on everything from canal water releases to power grid maintenance and development planning.
If the government does not act now, the erosion of Punjab’s say in BBMB may become irreversible. Representation in such institutions is not a formality — it’s a necessity. The people of Punjab are watching, and they expect more than symbolic slogans. Real guardianship of Punjab’s waters demands real action.