Decide on HP's plea over Shanan project in 2 months: High Court to Centre

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, September 16

The HP High Court has disposed of a petition regarding the issue of handing over of the Shanan power project, Mandi, to Himachal Pradesh with a direction to the Union Ministry of Power to take a decision on the representation of the state filed in this regard preferably within two months.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for the petitioner stated that since the dispute sought to be raised in the instant petition was already raised by the Himachal Government by way of a representation to the Union Government, the present petition can be disposed of with a direction to the Central Government to consider and decide Himachal’s representation expeditiously.

It was brought to the notice of the court that the Director, Union Ministry of Power, had filed an affidavit stating that the Power Ministry had received a representation from the Himachal Government as well as comments thereto given by the Punjab Government but the final decision was yet to be taken.

After perusing the same, Justice Sandeep Sharma observed that “till the time the Central Government takes an appropriate decision qua the issue of handing over of the Shanan power project, which was given to Punjab, by way of allocation under the Reorganisation Act, this court cannot proceed to decide the matter.”

While disposing of the matter, the court observed that “this court hopes and trusts that the Union Ministry of Power having taken note of the long standing dispute between the Governments of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will make an endeavor to settle it expeditiously, preferably within two months.”

However, the court gave liberty to the petitioner to approach this court again, laying therein a challenge, if required, to the decision, if any, taken by the Union Government on Himachal’s representation.