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Bhakra-Beas dispute heads for SC
 Centre fails to resolve power-sharing issue, next hearing on Nov 16 
 R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 26
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chandigarh today informed the Supreme Court that they were left with only the judicial option to resolve the dispute over sharing the power generated by the Bhakra Nangal and Beas projects as there was no consensus at the four Secretary-level meetings held in May-July at the initiative of the court.

Upon this, a Bench comprising Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik passed an order recording that the stakeholders of the projects could not arrive at a negotiated settlement as they stuck to their respective claims at these meetings.

In view of the “failure report” submitted by the Centre, which had been asked by the Bench to play a mediator role by holding the meetings, the Bench said it was ready to hear the arguments of the states. As senior counsel AK Ganguly and JS Attri, appearing for HP, sought time, the court fixed November 16 for the next hearing.

During the arguments today, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain maintained that the Centre could still resolve the matter if the states were ready to cooperate. HP, however, accused the Centre of approaching the issue on political grounds, instead of acting in the interest of the nation and that of the tiny hilly border state. The Centre kept assuring HP all these years that it would take care of the state if it accepted “for the time being” what was offered. But it had failed to honour its commitment, Ganguly said: “The Centre should rise above political interests.”

According to Himachal, it is entitled to 12 % free power as well as an additional 7.19 % share on the basis of its population, and it should be paid Rs 2,199.77 crore as compensation from November 1, 1966. This claim is contested by other stakeholders. On April 29, the SC had given three months to the Centre to find a negotiated settlement in view of the “nature of the disputes, grievances, problems, and hardships of the states involved.” It would examine the matter on merits only if this effort failed, the court had said.

What HP WANTS

l 12% free power from projects in HP

l 7.19% on population basis

l 2.5% as share from PSEB

WHAT OTHERS sAY

l Only dispute pending is on Beas Project-2

l 12% free power applicable only to Central projects commissioned after 
September 7, 1990

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