Will seek 7.19% share in Chandigarh, royalty from BBMB projects: Himachal CM

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, June 15

The state government seems to have toughened its stand after Punjab’s opposition to the Central Government’s decision to waive the no objection certificate (NOC) condition for the withdrawal of water by Himachal from BBMB projects for irrigation purpose. It may now seek 7.19 per cent share in other sectors as well.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said, “Himachal will seek its legitimate 7.19 per cent share as per the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 in every sector, be it in Chandigarh or the royalty from BBMB projects.”

Punjab’s opposition the trigger

• The state government toughens stand after Punjab opposed the Centre’s decision to waive the NOC condition for the withdrawal of water by Himachal from BBMB projects for irrigation purpose
• Sukhvinder Sukhu has been demanding royalty from BBMB projects so as to raise revenue for the cash-strapped state, which is under a debt of Rs 75,000 crore

He added that Himachal was willing to discuss and amicably settle all these inter-state issues.

Sukhu said this after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann opposed the Central Government’s decision to waive the NOC condition for Himachal for using water from BBMB projects for irrigation purpose. Sukhu has been demanding royalty from the BBMB projects so as to raise revenue for the cash-strapped state, which is under a debt of Rs 75,000 crore.

The issue could also become a sore point between Himachal and Punjab like the earlier decision of the Congress government to impose water cess on 172 hydroelectric projects, which both Punjab and Haryana had opposed.

Government officials cited a letter written by Gourav Jasuja, Deputy Director, Union Ministry of Power, to the BBMB Chairman and the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan on June 15. They said that the matter had been examined and settled. “We are well within our right to draw water for irrigation purpose, as per our 7.19 per cent share, upheld even by the Supreme Court,” said a senior government official.

It has been reliably learnt that no state actually knows how much water is being drawn for irrigation purpose. The Jal Shakti Department is getting the exercise done so as to ascertain the quantum of water Himachal is drawing for irrigation purpose.

“The matter has been examined and it has been decided that the BBMB may do away with the present mechanism of an NOC with the condition that the cumulative withdrawal by Himachal is kept below their analogous 7.19 per cent share in power, as decided by the Supreme Court,” the letter from the Union Ministry of Power reads.

The letter also mentions that “the BBMB shall only carry out a technical feasibility study for the withdrawal of water by Himachal for supply for irrigation purpose. If it involves engineering structures of the BBMB then convey the necessary technical requirements to Himachal within 60 days of the receipt of such a request”.