CM reasserts HP’s 7.19% claim in Chandigarh assets
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday strongly reiterated the state’s long-pending claim to a 7.19 per cent share in Chandigarh’s land and assets, asserting that the entitlement is mandated under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
Citing the Supreme Court’s 2011 judgment, he said the ruling reaffirmed Himachal’s right to its share in the composite Punjab based on the population ratio at the time of reorganisation — a principle that also governs the state’s entitlement to a portion of the power generated by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
Speaking at the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Faridabad, chaired by Union Home minister Amit Shah, Sukhu pressed for the release of Himachal’s pending dues from the BBMB and demanded the appointment of a permanent member from the state in the board.
He further sought the implementation of the policy granting Himachal 12 per cent free power royalty in centrally operated hydropower projects and urged that royalty be enhanced to 50 per cent in projects where construction costs have already been recovered.
Sukhu also called for the issue to be placed on the agenda of the next Zonal Council meeting to ensure the state receives its lawful entitlements. He demanded that hydropower projects operating in Himachal for over 40 years be handed over to the state government.
Raising concerns over major hydropower projects under construction, the Chief Minister sought full central funding of the power components of the Kishau and Renuka dam projects. He demanded that, once operational, electricity from these projects be shared equally between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Highlighting the increasing vulnerability of hill states, Sukhu urged the Centre to review disaster relief rules and revise pre- and post-disaster norms in line with climate-induced risks. He called for a unified, sustainable development framework for the northern region to minimise recurring losses and safeguard the fragile economies of states like Himachal Pradesh.
