(MENAFN- IANS) Chandigarh, Oct 14 (IANS) Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday announced that the government is serious about protecting the state from floods permanently.

To this end, plans are in place to clean, deepen, and widen the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, which fall under the state's jurisdiction, while permission has been sought from the Central Government to clean the Beas river, designated as a Ramsar site, he informed.

Speaking to reporters in Dirba, Cheema highlighted the significant losses suffered by Punjab due to floods in 2023 and 2025, emphasising that desilting the rivers is a critical need to ensure long-term flood protection. He said 28 locations along the Beas river requiring urgent cleaning have been identified and urged the Central government to provide maximum support for this initiative.

Cheema opposed the Central government's proposal to grant permanent membership to Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), calling it an injustice to Punjab's people that would not be tolerated.

He affirmed the Punjab government would not allow other states to gain control over the BBMB. Cheema presented a Diwali gift to the residents of the Dirba Assembly constituency by laying foundation stones and inaugurating development projects of Rs 11.46 crore. These include a Rs 2.5 crore canal water project in Chhajli village, connecting farmers' fields to canal water via a 13-km pipeline to address the issue of defunct tube wells due to a deepening water table.

Addressing various events, Cheema said under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's leadership, the government has been working for the state's all-around development over the past three and a half years.

He emphasised efforts to strengthen healthcare, education, and infrastructure, noting that previous governments' flawed policies had hindered progress.

“The government is committed to meeting public expectations with honest intentions, ensuring no compromise on the quality of development projects. For the first time, contractors will maintain the new rural roads for five years,” the minister said.

Cheema urged residents to monitor the projects to ensure satisfactory completion.

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