Will take Rajasthan water royalty matter to court: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

A political slugfest has started between Punjab and Rajasthan after the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government claimed royalty on its river waters flowing to Rajasthan.

On Wednesday, Mann had demanded Rs 1.44 lakh crore dues from Rajasthan, payable since 1960. However, the BJP government of Rajasthan said the agreement signed during the British rule was no longer relevant.

The CM said he will take the matter to the court and the Rajasthan Government could present its version there.

Related news: Punjab demands Rs 1.44 lakh crore in unpaid water dues from Rajasthan

Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat said the basis of Punjab’s claim was an agreement signed in 1920 with the Bikaner State, which was no longer legally tenable.

The Punjab Government has formally made the matter official by sending a letter to Rajasthan. During the British rule, an agreement was signed on September 4, 1920, at Simla between the Maharaja of Bikaner, the Nawab of Bahawalpur and the State of Punjab regarding sharing of water. Punjab has maintained that until the Indus Water Agreement was signed in 1960, Rajasthan continued to provide water royalty.

According to the “Sutlej Valley Project 1920”, the British government imposed a “water cess” of Rs 6.50 per acre every year on the Maharaja of Bikaner in exchange for water and started providing water from Hussainiwala HeadWorks from November 1927 onwards.

Rajasthan farmers being charged

The Punjab Government said Rajasthan was collecting Rs 70 per acre per crop as water charge from farmers and was generating an annual income of Rs 65.20 crore.

Punjab CM's statement a knee-jerk reaction: Sukhbir Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal on Friday said, “CM Mann’s statement is a knee jerk reaction after I announced that when SAD will come to power, it will not allow even a drop of water to flow into the Rajasthan canal.”