The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday urged the Centre to give the state 7.19% share in power being produced by all Bhakra Beas Management Board projects.

The issue was raised by state Health and Family Welfare and Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur at the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) meeting in Chandigarh on Friday.

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He called for calculating the arrears’ claims against Punjab and Haryana as per the inter-state energy settlement rate. “HP has been constantly requesting for 7.19% power share in all BBMB projects but so far the state has not been given its legitimate share,” he said.

He said in pursuant of judgment of the Supreme Court, the calculation of arrears claims against the states of Punjab and Haryana should have been done as per the inter-state energy settlement rate vis-à-vis Badarpur Thermal Power Station and not at National Fertilizers Limited rates. 

He urged the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is also the Chairman of the Zonal Council, to convene a meeting with the Union Minister of Power and the Chief Ministers of the states concerned so that Himachal Pradesh could get its legitimate right and share as endorsed by the Supreme Court of India.

Thakur requested the Union Government to fix the funding of the Renuka hydropower plant at a centre-state ratio of 90:10 as the project was of national importance and the state was making immense sacrifice by way of displacement of a large population.

He urged to handover the work of 25MW power project at Khyuri village (Baggi) in Mandi district to HP and relax the condition of taking no objection certificate for utilising water for irrigation and drinking purposes from the rivers of the state. 

“Keeping in view the predominantly forestland of Himachal, the powers of diversion of forestland for development activities should be enhanced up to five hectares so that the developmental works in the state did not suffer for want of forest clearances,” he said.

The minister underlined the need to resolve inter-state boundary disputes at the earliest. He mentioned that Himachal had an unpleasant experience of Jammu and Kashmir police entering as long as 15km deep inside its territory in Lahaul-Spiti district, claiming it as their territory.