Escalating the controversy over the alleged encroachment on Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) land along the Nangal Hydel Channel, BJP state vice-president Subhash Sharma has written to Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, seeking his immediate intervention and demanding strict action against those responsible.
Addressing a press conference in Nangal on Monday, Sharma questioned why no FIR had been registered despite the alleged illegal removal of BBMB debris that had remained on the site for nearly 70 years.
“It is strange that muck belonging to the BBMB was removed in broad daylight, and yet no police case has been registered. Such an operation, involving heavy earth-moving machinery, could not have taken place without the active connivance of local authorities,” Sharma alleged.
He said the debris had been lying along the Nangal Hydel Channel since the construction of the canal around seven decades ago, and its removal amounted to theft of government property.
Sharma alleged that the failure of the police to register an FIR despite a complaint reflected political patronage being extended to the alleged encroachers.
The BJP leader claimed that BBMB officials had informed him that they had already submitted a police complaint against those responsible for removing the board’s debris. “Despite the complaint, the police have not registered a case. It clearly indicates that the encroachers are enjoying political shelter,” he alleged.
Raising security concerns, Sharma said the canal was an infrastructure asset of national importance, and the use of heavy machinery in its vicinity posed a threat to the canal structure.
“The canal is a strategically important national asset. Any unauthorised activity involving bulldozers and heavy machinery near it cannot be taken lightly. Those responsible for allowing such activities must also be held accountable," he said.
Sharma added that he had urged Khattar to direct the authorities concerned to protect BBMB land, register a theft case over the illegal removal of government debris, and take strict legal action against those involved.
He said if any revenue officials were found to have connived with the alleged encroachers, action should be taken against them as well.
To a query that some individuals had produced revenue records claiming ownership of the land, Sharma said, “If someone produces ownership papers for land on which the Bhakra project stands, does that mean they can dismantle the structure? How can revenue officials confer ownership of BBMB land without giving the organisation an opportunity to present its own documents?”
The issue has gained political significance after two alleged attempts were recently made to clear the decades-old debris from BBMB land adjoining the canal.
While the BBMB reportedly sought police assistance and requested fresh demarcation of the disputed land, no criminal case has been registered so far, drawing criticism from the Opposition.
