Jalandhar, July 12, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh today reacted to the resolution introduced in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha regarding handing over dam security responsibilities to Punjab Police (from CISF), by stating that security deployment is not a solution to Punjab’s core water and ownership issues.
“Let’s be clear—this resolution only changes who stands guard. Whether it’s CISF or Punjab Police, they are there for security, not to decide who owns the water,” said Pargat Singh.
“If we want to defend Punjab’s rights and secure its future, we need legal power, not just deployment.”
Singh said the resolution does not touch the deeper issue of Punjab’s control over its water infrastructure and rivers. He emphasized that the only lasting solution is to introduce a Punjab-specific Dam Safety Act, which the Chief Minister had publicly promised in the last session.
“The CM himself admitted in the previous session that Punjab would bring its own Dam Safety Act. That is the real need of the hour—because only through legislation can we assert our rights against the Centre,” he said.
He further stressed that alongside such legislation, Punjab must legally challenge Sections 78, 79, and 80 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, which currently allow excessive central interference in Punjab’s river waters.
“Until we challenge the constitutional framework that weakens our state’s autonomy over its rivers, resolutions like today’s will remain cosmetic. Without legal backbone, these gestures mean little,” said Singh.
He also pointed out that while the government earlier formed a State Dam Safety Committee in June 2023, no progress followed.
“Committees without legislation are like locks without keys. We need a strong legal base to protect Punjab’s water from political and administrative encroachment,” he said.
Singh also dismissed the recent meeting between the Punjab and Haryana Chief Ministers, mediated by the Centre, as ineffective:
“The Indus Water Treaty is suspended. Riparian Law, recognized globally and constitutionally, must guide us. Unless Punjab passes its own Act, we will continue to be bypassed,” he warned.
“And when a legal or political dispute arises tomorrow, Punjab will have no standing if it hasn’t passed its law today.”
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