Water cess not to affect Punjab and Haryana, says CM Sukhu

Faced with opposition from Punjab and Haryana — two neighbouring states on imposition of water cess, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu held a substantive discussion with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and tried to explain the state’s stand on the issue.

“We discussed the water cess issue and also raised few other pending bilateral matters with my counterpart Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh today. The meeting has been very fruitful. There will be an official level follow-up on all the matters we took up for discussions,” Sukhu said. He said that Himachal and Punjab have a common cultural heritage and share cordial relations since ages and no attempt will be made to spoil the cordial relationships in any manner.

“Besides water cess,we held detailed discussions on hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh including Bhakra Beas Management Board and Shanan Hydroelectric Project. There were talks on tourism related projects also,” he said.

The water cess levied by Himachal would not be imposed on water but on hydropower projects operating within the state and both Punjab and Haryana will not suffer any loss due to this water cess, said the chief minister.