Punjab wants to settle the Bhakra share dispute with Himachal Pradesh amicably.
Addressing a news conference in Congress office, Shimla, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal on Tuesday said the Punjab Government was in for a mutual settlement with Himachal Pradesh on the issue of Himachal’s share in the power production of Bhakra Beas power utility.
Badal said their predecessor Akali’s could not settle the dispute despite being at the helm for ten years and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP Government had not taken any measure to sort out the matter till now. He agreed that the dispute of share of Himachal Pradesh in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) had been long pending.
The Minister said Himachal Pradesh and Punjab were sister States and Punjab would not deprive this hill State from its due share in the power production through the Bhakra-Beas project. Himachal Pradesh has been seeking Rs4,200 crore from Punjab owing to its share in power production of BBMB for the previous years as the hill State has not been given its share from the power production of BBMB for years. Manpreet said the issue would be settled with mutual consensus.
Manpreet said the matter had come up in the inter-State meeting recently held in Delhi and both the States had recently agreed to reach consensus on the matter in a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
As per the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966, Punjab had to give 7.19 percent share in the power generation to the hill state, while Himachal Pradesh was never given its due share in the project and presently it had been getting only 2.5 percent share in the project.
Both the States had been contesting the matter on different judicial platforms and the Supreme Court had maintained that Himachal Pradesh had 7.19 per cent share in the BBMB and had directed Punjab to form an interstate commission for finding a cordial resolution to the dispute.