Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has strongly urged the Central Government to grant 12 per cent free power to the state from all Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects.
In a written communiqué addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister pointed out that while all hydropower projects approved by the Himachal government contribute free power to the state, the BBMB projects do not provide any such benefit.
He emphasised that a vast share of Himachal’s hydro potential was utilised for setting up BBMB projects, but the state has not received its fair share in return.
“The state has suffered and has not received its due. This historical wrong can now be corrected with your intervention by ensuring 12 per cent free power to Himachal Pradesh from BBMB projects,” Sukhu wrote.
In a separate letter to Union Power Minister Manohar Lal, the Chief Minister requested that Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) be directed to provide one per cent additional free power from the Nathpa Jhakri Power Project for the Local Area Development Fund (LADF), following the precedent set by the Rampur Hydropower Project. He said this would be in the larger interest of families affected by the project.
Sukhu also reiterated the demand for Himachal Pradesh’s rightful representation in the BBMB by appointing a whole-time member from the state. Despite repeated requests at various levels, the state has yet to receive this representation.
Additionally, the Chief Minister wrote to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, urging him to convey written consent for providing BBMB energy arrears due to Himachal Pradesh, along with six per cent interest, before the next hearing in the matter. As per records, Haryana and Punjab owe Himachal Pradesh 13,066 million units of power from November 1966 to October 2011. Sukhu proposed that this be paid over a 15-year period, at a rate of 871 million units annually.
He added that resolving this long-pending issue would pave the way for both states to progress on several power projects in the pipeline and under consideration, especially to meet Haryana’s energy demands.