E-Paper
BBMB postings: Punjab to form separate cadre in govt depts
Punjab government has decided to create a separate cadre in different state departments which will send staff to BBMB on deputation.
Reaching a permanent solution to the issue of Punjab’s quota posts of engineers, officers and other staff falling vacant in Bhakra Beas management Board (BBMB) and subsequently filled from states of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Punjab government has decided to create a separate cadre in different state departments which will send staff to BBMB on deputation.
The decision was reached in a meeting between chef secretary VK Janjua and principal secretary irrigation Krishan Kumar on Tuesday. The state government, it seems, has woken up to the matter when the vacancy in the state quota goes up to 40 per cent. The proposal will be taken up in the upcoming meeting of the council of ministers for a formal approval as the chief minister Bhagwant Mann has already cleared the matter.
BBMB that manages waters of Sutlej and Beas rivers in Punjab, canal system and also the power generating plants built over the rivers has 2,520 posts in Punjab quota, out of which 1,513 posts (60%) are filled and 1,012 are vacant which is 40 per cent of the total posts.
BBMB was set up under the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 while water and electricity generated out of its projects are shared between the partner states that comprised erstwhile Punjab. Punjab and Haryana share a quota of 55 per cent and 45 per cent in the BBMB.
As per the proposal mooted by the state government there are certain posts which were created to run the affairs of BBMB in various cadres and certain quota posts of these employees is meant for the employees of the Punjab government from departments such as irrigation (now water resources), power, police, education, health and public relations.
“Over a period of time it has been observed that a large number of Punjab quota posts remain vacant in BBMB and as a result the employees from other partner states mainly Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan tend to take the advantage,” reads the state’s proposal, which adds that there is a feeling that decreasing share of the Punjab employees in the BBMB is adversely affecting the rights of the Punjab government employees, who were sent on deputation to manage these projects for the reason that they are in minority and many times their voices are not heard in the BBMB affairs.
The proposal by the irrigation department accepted that a situation has risen that Punjab government has been complaining with the BBMB that post of Punjab quota be filled from Punjab employees whereas the state government itself has not been able to send the employees and one of the major reasons is that no separate cadre meant for BBMB exists in Punjab.
It was also brought on record that employees and officers sent on deputation to BBMB have a tendency to push for posting back into the state and there are only 90 cadre posts in different departments to be posted in BBMB. Also, the state departments find it difficult to spare employees to be posted in BBMB owing to staff shortage. After a sanction to the proposal from the departments of finance, power, and personnel which comes at a financial implication of ₹ 43.59 crore, to be borne by the BBMB.
