Himachal Pradesh Government on Friday demanded the Government of India to provide 7.19 per cent power in all Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects in ratio of its population. The State has also demanded to calculate arrear claims against Punjab and Haryana as per inter-State energy settlement rate.
The demand was raised by Health and Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur while participating in the meeting of Northern Zonal Council (NZC) held here on Friday.
The Himachal representative said the State had been repeatedly requesting for 7.19 percent power in all BBMB projects but so far the State has not been given its legitimate share. He said in pursuant of judgement of the Supreme Court the calculation of arrears claims against the States of Punjab and Haryana had been calculated at the National Fertilisers limited rates, which was strongly unfair and should be charged as per inter-state energy settlement rate, which was at Badarpur Thermal Power Station.
Thakur urged the Union Home Minister, who is also the Chairman of the Zonal Council to convene a meeting with the Union Minister of Power and the Chief Ministers of the concerned States so that Himachal Pradesh could get its legitimate right and share as endorsed by the Supreme Court of India without any further delay.
Thakur also requested the Union Government to funds for construction of hydro power plant at Renukaji Dam on 90:10 centre state sharing basis as this project was of national importance and the State was making immense sacrifice by way of displacement of large population.
The minister urged to handover the work of 25 MW Power Project at village Khyuri (Baggi) in district Mandi to Himachal Pradesh and relax the condition of taking no objection certificate for utilising water for irrigation and drinking purposes from the rivers of the State.
He also suggested that keeping in view the predominantly forest land of Himachal, the powers of diversion of forest land for development activities should be enhanced upto five hectares so that the developmental works in the State did not suffer for want of forest clearances.
On illegal drug trade, Kaul Singh Thakur said a joint strategy should be evolved by the neighbouring States to tackle the menace of drugs and alcohol. He added that no State was able to address this problem in isolation and there was dire need for collaborative and collective approach to check spreading of these social evils.
Thakur also underlined the need to resolve inter-state boundary disputes at the earliest. He mentioned that Himachal had an unpleasant experience of police from Jammu and Kashmir entering as long as 15 kilometers deep inside its territory in lahaul-Spiti district claiming it as their territory.