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Himachal should get ‘legitimate’ 7.19% share on Chandigarh: CM
The chief minister was addressing the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Faridabad, Haryana, under the chairmanship of Union home minister Amit Shah
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said that Himachal Pradesh should get “legitimate” 7.19% share on Chandigarh, both in land and assets as per mandate under the Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966.
The chief minister was addressing the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Faridabad, Haryana, under the chairmanship of Union home minister Amit Shah.
Sukhu referred to the Supreme court’s judgement of 2011 which held that Himachal Pradesh is entitled to a share of 7.19% in the composite Punjab, on the basis of population ratio transfer under the Punjab re-organization Act. This was the basis for the “legitimate share” in the power also being generated by Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Sukhu further said.
He also sought the release of pending dues from the BBMB as per the Supreme Court’s decision and appointment of a permanent member from Himachal in the BBMB along with urging for implementation of the policy granting 12% free power royalty to the state in centrally operated hydropower projects and enhancement of Himachal’s free royalty to 50% in projects where the cost has already been recovered.
He urged that the issue be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Northern Zonal Council to ensure Himachal receives its “lawful entitlement”.
The chief minister requested that hydropower projects in Himachal that have completed 40 years be handed over to the state.
The CM also sought full central funding of the power components of the under-construction Kishau and Renuka dam hydel projects and demanded that once completed, 50-50% electricity be provided to Himachal and Uttarakhand.
Sukhu urged the Centre to review disaster relief rules and to suitably revise pre and post-disaster management norms in view of the increasing vulnerability of hill states. He called for a unified, interdependent and sustainable development framework for the entire northern region in view of the rising frequency of natural disasters caused by climate change and the extensive loss they inflict every year. He said that such a coordinated plan was essential to protect the economy of hill states like Himachal Pradesh and to minimise valuable human loss through collective and focused efforts.
Highlighting the state’s strategic location and tourism potential, the chief minister stressed the urgent need to expand the air network in Himachal. He informed that the state government was working on expanding the Kangra Airport having International level facility and requested the Centre to bear the land acquisition cost, provide full funding for the project, and prepare a separate master plan for developing small airports and heliports in the state.
The chief minister also proposed the establishment of a high altitude research centre, ice hockey stadium, an adventure sports centre and other training facilities in border and high-altitude areas to support local habitation and promote tourism. He also requested the initiation of the National Buddhist Institute project in the tribal area of Spiti. Sukhu further detailed about the steps the government has taken to promote border tourism from Shipki-La along with Indo-Tibet border and reiterated the state’s demand to start the sacred Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from Shipki-La.
Referring to the state’s fight against narcotics, the CM said that Himachal was carrying out multi-dimensional action against drug trafficking. Along with strict enforcement of law and order, large-scale efforts were being made for treatment and rehabilitation of drug -affected individuals. He informed that a three-month extensive awareness campaign has been launched to eradicate dangerous substances like heroin.
The CM also highlighted strict compliance with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 in the state and reaffirmed Himachal’s zero-tolerance policy towards such crimes.
Sukhu urged early resolution of the inter-state boundary issues between Himachal and the Union Territory of Ladakh in the Sarchu and Shinkula regions. He requested that the sub-office of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change in Shimla be upgraded to an integrated regional office and sought timely approvals for forest-related cases under the Forest Conservation Act.
He further sought permission under the Act to allow up to one bigha of forest land for housing construction for disaster-affected families, noting that almost all land in the state, other than private holdings, falls under the technical definition of forest land.
The chief minister said that despite its difficult financial position, the state has provided a special relief package to disaster-affected families, but was still awaiting nearly ₹10,000 crore under the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, (PDNA) along with the ₹1,500 crore package announced by the Prime Minister. He requested early release of the entire amount.
Sukhu also called for the creation of a special task force to compensate Himachal for the revenue deficit of ₹9,478 crore for the period up to 2023-24, even after the end of GST compensation.
He emphasised that Himachal and the Himalayas were crucial for environmental conservation and for ensuring clean water availability across north India. The state government is working at multiple levels to make Himachal a ‘Green State’.
