The power engineers of the Punjab has strongly opposed the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) proposal to create its own cadre. PSEB engineers' association has sought chief minister Prakash Singh Badal's intervention, while urging him to take up the issue with the Prime Minister.
In a letter to the CM, association general secretary Sanjeev Sood said that the proposed move of BBMB would deprive Punjabi youths of employment opportunities. "The move will create co-ordination problems and Punjab's interests  in the long run are bound to suffer," he said.

The association has demanded that Punjab government nominee in the BBMB should oppose the move and PSPCL should fill vacant share quota posts of BBMB and its own on priority.

Association president Baldev Singh said PSPCL had a share of 2 posts of chief engineers, 7 superintending engineers, 41 executive engineers and 91 assistant engineers in the power wing of BBMB. 64 share posts of assistant engineers from PSPCL were lying vacant in the power wing.

The BBMB board of directors had decided to create its own cadre in its last meeting held on February 19 on the plea that states were not deputing enough engineers in the BBMB. Principal secretary (power), Punjab, was also present in the meeting.

The BBMB has sought 2 posts of chief engineers, 7 posts of superintending engineers, 31 executive engineers, 85 SDOs and 13 doctors in its own cadre, besides share in other posts. The BBMB has claimed that 1 post of chief engineer, 2 superintending engineers and 43 posts of SDOs were vacant in its irrigation wing.