Chandigarh, Mar 20 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said his government will fight a case to seek a sum of Rs 1.44 lakh crore from Rajasthan for “unpaid” water usage since 1960.
Mann had on Wednesday said Rajasthan gave royalty to Punjab for water till 1960, but stopped after that.
The chief minister had asserted that Rajasthan must either release Punjab’s rightful dues or stop drawing water, as he called for a review of the 1920 agreement governing this arrangement.
On Rajasthan government questioning Punjab’s claim over water dues, Mann told reporters, “We will fight a case and Rajasthan government may give its reply in the court”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mann had told reporters that Rajasthan owes Punjab Rs 1.44 lakh crore for the water drawn through the Ferozepur Feeder since 1960, for which not even a single penny has been paid.
The chief minister had mentioned the 1920 agreement involving the British government, the state of Bahawalpur (now in Pakistan), and the then Maharaja of Bikaner.
At present, he said, Rajasthan is getting 18,000 cusecs of water through the Rajasthan feeder.
The 1920 agreement stipulated that Rajasthan pays a fee for the water taken from Punjab, which it did till 1960.
“But after the Indus Water Treaty, Rajasthan stopped paying despite continuously drawing 18,000 cusecs of water,” he said.
“Even today, Rajasthan continues to draw water under the 1920 agreement, but when it comes to paying dues, it takes shelter under the 1960 arrangement. The governments at that time, while entering into the new arrangement in 1960, did not mention payment, but they also never cancelled the 1920 agreement,” Mann said.
The chief minister said that the agreement mandated a review every 25 years, but previous governments never raised this issue or pursued Punjab’s rightful claim.
“Under the 1920 agreement signed during the British era with Bikaner, 18,000 cusecs of Punjab’s water was supplied continuously till 1960. However, after the Indus Waters Treaty, there was no mention of this arrangement. If we calculate dues from 1960 to 2026, Rajasthan owes Punjab Rs 1.44 lakh crore,” he said.
Mann had said his government has written to the Rajasthan government, seeking a discussion on the matter. PTI SUN NB NB
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