M A I N   N E W S

Punjab, Haryana say HP owes them Rs 1,611 cr
R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, September 13
Haryana and cash-strapped Punjab today told the Supreme Court that they don’t owe Rs 1,497.39 crore to Himachal Pradesh as calculated by the Centre on SC’s directive for short supply of electricity from Bhakra and Beas projects since 1966. Rather, it is Himachal Pradesh which owes them Rs 1,611.88 crore, representing its share in the construction cost of these projects, funds for which were raised by them through loans on interest, they said.

As Himachal’s suit was taken up for hearing today, a Bench comprising Justices AK Patnaik and JS Khehar asked whether all the states had filed their response to the Centre’s calculations.

At this, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain said both Punjab and Haryana were objecting to the Centre’s calculations, contending that it was HP which should pay them. “Today’s world does not go by rationality. Everybody is protecting his own interest,” the Bench remarked in exasperation.

The Centre had calculated the compensation amount on SC’s directive in the September 27, 2011 judgment in Himachal’s original suit filed in 1996 seeking a higher share of electricity from these power projects. Himachal Pradesh had claimed a compensation of Rs 4,249 crore for the short supply of electricity for the past 45 years.

The SC had raised the share of Himachal to 7.19 per cent of the total power generated by the Bhakra-Nangal project, against 2.5 per cent it was getting till then.

Since the share of Himachal Pradesh in the electricity had gone up to 7.19 per cent, it should bear the liability towards the capital costs of the projects to that extent, Punjab said in an affidavit.

On the other hand, Haryana made it clear that its own “calculations show that nothing is payable to Himachal. Rather HP is required to pay Rs 688.45 crore to us.”

Haryana also rejected Centre’s alternative suggestion that instead of paying the amount in cash, Himachal could be compensated by additional allocation of power over the next 30 years. “It is not acceptable because as per Haryana’s claim nothing is payable” to Himachal, it said.

The Bench said it would hear the case again in the first week of November.