BBMB dispute: Punjab close to settlement, Government to SC

The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the Punjab Government is very close to agreeing to its proposal on the issue of payment of dues to Himachal Pradesh arising out of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects since 1966.

On July 30, the Centre had told the apex court that an amicable settlement can be reached on a new cashless formula between the partner states for payment of arrears.

The top court had then recorded that the governments of Himachal and Haryana have in principle agreed to the Centre’s proposal but the Punjab Government has objected.

The apex court had pulled up the Punjab Government for not agreeing to the proposal, observing that it has the habit of not following the decree of the court. On Wednesday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Himachal Pradesh government, told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that the apex court has listed the matter for finding out whether the Punjab Government is agreeable to the Centre’s proposal or not.

“I must say now today we speak in a joint voice. Punjab is coming very closer,” Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, told the bench.

“I think we are going to iron out the creases,” Venkataramani said and requested the bench to list the matter for hearing next week. The bench posted the matter for hearing on August 20. According to sources, BBMB is paying 7.19 per cent share of Himachal Pradesh’s electricity from Bhakra Beas projects after November 1, 2011, while Punjab and Haryana have not paid the outstanding dues of BBMB projects for the previous period, which is 13,066 million units.