A major development has emerged for Himachal Pradesh as the path to receiving regular electricity from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas hydroelectric projects has been officially cleared. Punjab and Haryana will now jointly provide a 7.19% share of power to Himachal Pradesh. The Supreme Court resolved this decades-old inter-state dispute, clearing all hurdles for the allocation of electricity to the state.
The Supreme Court settled the long-standing dispute over power sharing among Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The apex court paved the way for Himachal Pradesh to receive a 7.19% electricity allocation from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas hydroelectric projects. Under this arrangement, Himachal will obtain a total of 11,973 million units (MU) of electricity from Punjab and Haryana over the next 20 years.
A bench comprising Chief Justice (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohan approved the settlement formulated after detailed discussions among the three states. This agreement incorporates a cashless settlement formula, through which Himachal Pradesh will receive the benefits of its designated power share without friction.
The dispute originally stemmed from long-standing disagreements regarding Himachal Pradesh's share in the electricity generated by the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects. Himachal Pradesh argued that its territory and natural resources contributed significantly to the construction of these projects, and therefore it deserved a rightful share in the generated electricity. This issue led to a decades-long interstate conflict with Punjab and Haryana.
Following the Supreme Court's approval, a definitive solution to this controversy has finally opened up. Under the agreement, the 11,973 million units of electricity scheduled for the next two decades will play a vital role in fulfilling the energy requirements of Himachal Pradesh. This is expected to bring substantial relief in power supply to the state while successfully closing a prolonged interstate dispute.
Understanding the Bhakra-Nangal Power Dispute
The Bhakra-Nangal and Beas river projects supply electricity and irrigation water to multiple states across northern India, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana. The dispute over Himachal Pradesh's share of the electricity generated by these facilities had persisted for a long time. Himachal maintained that because its land and natural resources were utilized for these projects, it was entitled to an equitable share of the power.
Under the older power-sharing formula, Himachal was receiving a mere 2.5 percent share. In 1996, Himachal filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court. In 2011, the court ruled in favor of Himachal Pradesh, establishing a 7.19 percent share. However, controversies regarding the payment of arrears for previous years' electricity shares continued to linger. Now, by endorsing the agreement to supply 11,973 million units of electricity, the Supreme Court has brought a final resolution to the dispute.
