Will oppose Centre's decision to deploy CISF at Bhakra Dam, says Punjab CM

Sangrur, May 22 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the state would oppose the decision of the Centre to deploy CISF at Bhakra Dam and not give a single penny as expenditure on it.

"The Centre should understand one thing: we neither have any drop of surplus water for other states nor any single penny to pay the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the unwarranted CISF," the Chief Minister told the media here.

Amid the dispute over allocation of water between Punjab and Haryana, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in a communication to Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the regulatory body responsible for managing the water and power supply, said 296 posts of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have been created for manning the Bhakra Dam Project in Nangal in Punjab.

The Chief Minister said the state government would never pay this amount, as it is a move aimed at "stealing" the water of the state by deploying the central forces on the dam.

He said they need everything from Punjab in terms of food grains and others, but on the other hand, they are trying to "snatch" the state's water through this action.

CM Mann said instead of giving any special package to Punjab for its immense contribution, the BJP is meting out "step-motherly" treatment to the state.

The Chief Minister said he would flag this issue before Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the NITI Aayog meeting, scheduled on Saturday.

He said it is surprising to note that though Punjab leads the country in contribution to the food pool, besides giving maximum representation in the Indian Army, the Centre has always "ignored" the state.

The Chief Minister categorically said Punjab, being a border state, is fighting the nation's war to combat terrorism and drugs, but unfortunately "we are asked to pay a hefty fee for it".

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