Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said that the state government has intensified its efforts to secure its legitimate rights over the Union Territory (UT) Chandigarh. He also emphasized on equitable distribution of share among partner states in Power projects.

The Chief Minister underlined the need to address long standing issues of its rights with the neighbouring states that have been in limbo since long, depriving the due benefits of the state and its people.

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Since taking over the regime, the state government has been aggressively taking up its issues with the Union Government and respective states, he added.

Sukhu said that extracting waters from Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects without the need for any No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the BBMB is a win-win situation for Himachal Pradesh.

Claiming right over UT Chandigarh, he said, “Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966 clearly mentions Himachal Pradesh’s entitlement to its share of 7.19 percent in Chandigarh. The state has been deprived of this right since the very beginning which is a grave injustice to the people of Himachal.”

Now, the state government is raising its voice on all the appropriate platforms to get all the legitimate rights due to the state including its entitlement of 7.19 percent share in Chandigarh, he added.

The state government has constituted a Cabinet Sub Committee to look into all aspects of this matter and subsequently a report will be submitted in the Cabinet to be discussed at length.

The state government will decide its further course of action after taking into consideration the findings and recommendations of the Cabinet Sub Committee.

Sukhu said that the state government is exploring all the options to recover its arrear in power share as well.

He said that the Apex Court had already decided to grant a power share of 7.19 percent in all the BBMB projects in November, 2011. Currently, Himachal is receiving its share, but an arrear of 13,066 million units of power has still not been released in favour of the state.

Besides, the state has also demanded to raise its power share in all the BBMB projects set up in Himachal Pradesh, as natural resources of the state are being used to generate electricity through these power projects, he added.

“The current power distribution from BBMB power projects allocates 51.8 per cent to Punjab, 37.51 per cent to Haryana and only 7.19 per cent to Himachal Pradesh. Hence, the partner states shall consider liberally enhancing the share for Himachal Pradesh as thousands of families had been uprooted and thousands of hectares of land submerged due to construction of these power projects,” he said.

He emphasized the need for equitable distribution of shares among the partner states in these projects.

The state government is leaving no stone unturned to obtain the rightful share of Himachal Pradesh and its commitment to the welfare of its people remains unwavering, and the government will continue to raise issues of the state on various platforms until justice is served, reiterated the Chief Minister.