Himachal Pradesh has raised the demand for appointing a whole-time Member from the state to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), emphasizing its status as a major stakeholder in the board's projects.
Northern Zone Council Meeting Highlights
The issue was brought up during the 22nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Northern Zone Council (NZC), held in Shimla on Friday. Representatives from partner states including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Ladakh participated. A total of 66 agenda items covering various inter-state issues were discussed.
Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, who chaired the meeting, noted that the NZC states share several common concerns that were deliberated in detail.
Key Issues Discussed
Pant stated, “The issue of allotment of land for the construction of Himachal Sadan in Sector 52, Chandigarh, and Himachal Pradesh’s share in Chandigarh as a successor state of composite Punjab, in light of the Supreme Court’s judgment, was also taken up.”
A wide range of topics concerning partner states were addressed, including water sharing, food safety, river-sharing disputes, crimes against women and children, narcotics, and disaster management.
NCB Shimla Unit Operational
It was informed at the meeting that a full-fledged Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at Shimla has been made operational. This unit is of strategic importance and will enhance coordination with state and central agencies, improve operational efficiency in sustained field operations and inter-state coordination, and strengthen focus on inter-state and cross-border trafficking corridors.
Attendees
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha (Punjab), Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi (Haryana), Additional Chief Secretary of Delhi Navin Kumar Chaudhary, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir R. Alice Vaz, and Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Ladakh Dr. Laltinkuma Franklin. Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat (ISCS), Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Ashish Srivastava; Advisor and Additional Secretary Manish Bhardwaj; and Chief Conservator of Forests of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Saurabh Kumar, were also present. Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas attended the meeting virtually.
