Punjab Cabinet okays creating separate cadre for posting in Bhakra Beas Management Board

Chandigarh, Nov 15 (PTI) The Punjab Cabinet on Saturday gave its nod for creating a separate cadre of employees for their posting in the Bhakra Beas Management Board.

The decision was taken by the council of ministers at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Cabinet has decided to create a separate cadre of employees who will be recruited only for serving in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

“Presently, our employees are posted in the BBMB on deputation. But sometimes their assigned duties get cancelled, leading to vacant positions to be filled by the BBMB from other states,” Cheema said.

“Now we will have a separate cadre for the BBMB, and the employees will only be recruited to serve in the BBMB,” he added.

Later, an official statement said it was witnessed that a large number of Punjab quota posts remained vacant in the BBMB, which the board filled up with its own cadre.

Accordingly, the Cabinet has given its nod to create 2,458 posts for recruitment in the BBMP in its various departments, the statement said.

The decision came in the backdrop of the clash between the AAP government and the BBMB authorities on issues such as water sharing and the posting of CISF personnel at the Bhakra and Nangal dams.

Last month, the AAP alleged that the Centre wanted to grant permanent membership to Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in the BBMB, claiming the move would be a “direct attack on Punjab’s constitutional and riparian rights”.

The Centre had written to the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan to include Himachal and Rajasthan as permanent members of the BBMB.

At present, Punjab and Haryana are the permanent members of the BBMB, which regulates the supply of water and power from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to a policy for lands de-listed under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), with an objective to establish a standardised and transparent framework for the regularisation of the existing structures and for permitting new low-impact residential units on these lands.

It mandates a minimum plot size of 4,000 square yards and includes stringent controls such as a low floor area ratio (FAR), limited site coverage, and restrictions on G+1 structures, an official spokesperson said.

A core principle of the policy is a complete prohibition on any commercial activity, and to ensure environmental protection.

It incorporates robust safeguards such as mandatory plantation of indigenous species, use of sustainable building materials, and provisions for rainwater harvesting and solar energy.

The Cabinet also approved the summoning of the 10th (Special) Session of the Punjab Assembly at Anandpur Sahib as a part of the commemorative events to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The special session will be held at Bhai Jaita Ji in the holy city on November 24, the spokesperson said. In another decision, the Cabinet approved the recruitment of 311 nurses in the health and family welfare department.

In addition to this, recruitment of more than 400 additional nurses is currently underway, ensuring that every healthcare facility is adequately staffed to deliver quality nursing care.

The nurses will join before the first week of December, the spokesperson said. The Cabinet also gave its nod to revive 16 vacant posts of child development project officers (CDPOs) for the effective implementation of the state and Centre's schemes related to social security, women, and children.

It was also approved to enhance the retirement age for administrative posts in the Department of Medical Education and Research from 62 to 65 years.

The Cabinet also approved enhancing the retirement age of the dental teaching faculty from 62 to 65 years to help meet the shortage of teaching staff in dental colleges of the state, the spokesperson said.

The launch of the Navi Dishaa Scheme to address menstrual hygiene and distribute free sanitary napkins to adolescent girls and vulnerable women was also okayed by the Cabinet.

The scheme will focus on awareness, education, and behavioural change, the spokesperson said.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of three new posts for the sports department in Malerkotla. PTI CHS ARI