Now Reading: Punjab nears deal on BBMB dues, tells Centre, SC
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Punjab nears deal on BBMB dues, tells Centre, SC
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Punjab is very close to accepting a cashless settlement on Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) dues to Himachal Pradesh. The proposal avoids monetary…
The Story in Brief
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Punjab is very close to accepting a cashless settlement on Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) dues to Himachal Pradesh. The proposal avoids monetary payment: Punjab and Haryana would pay 12,000 out of 13,066 million units of electricity arrears in energy terms. Himachal in turn will not pay Rs 420 crore in capital costs to Punjab and Haryana, with that amount adjusted against the arrears.
The top court had pulled up Punjab on July 30 for objecting to the formula, while Himachal and Haryana had agreed in principle. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Himachal, and Attorney General R Venkataramani told the bench, "Punjab is coming very closer." The court listed the matter for August 20. The row dates to the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966; the apex court fixed Himachal's BBMB share at 7.19 per cent in 2011, but arrears have not been paid.
The Indian Opinion
The usual Punjab-versus-Himachal water war narrative misses the real story: the Centre has proposed a cashless energy swap and adjusted Rs 420 crore of Himachal's capital cost, yet the states still cannot agree on a per-unit rate for 12,000 million units of arrears. Punjab says Rs 2.5 per unit will cost it Rs 2,000 crore. The question is not whether Punjab will settle, but at what rate it will settle. The August 20 hearing will show if this is a breakthrough or more brinkmanship.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
