Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday announced that the state government will formally stake a claim of ₹1.44 lakh crore against the Rajasthan Government for unpaid water usage spanning several decades.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister issued a firm ultimatum, stating that Rajasthan must either settle these historical dues or cease drawing water from Punjab’s reservoirs. He further called for an immediate and comprehensive review of the 1920 agreement that originally governed the water-sharing arrangement between the two states.
Elaborating on the technical and legal aspects of the dispute, Chief Minister Mann explained that under a British-era agreement signed in 1920 between the erstwhile Punjab, the state of Bikaner, and the British administration, Rajasthan had committed to paying for water on a per-acre basis.
While payments were consistently made until 1960, the process stalled following the Indus Waters Treaty. Despite this, Rajasthan has continued to draw approximately 18,000 cusecs of water through the Ferozepur Feeder without providing any financial compensation to Punjab for the past 66 years.
The Chief Minister highlighted a significant legal contradiction in Rajasthan’s current stance, pointing out that the neighboring state continues to draw water based on the 1920 pact but cites a 1960 arrangement to avoid making payments.
He clarified that while the 1960 arrangement omitted specific payment clauses, it notably failed to cancel the original 1920 agreement. “If we calculate the outstanding dues from 1960 to 2026, the total amount owed to Punjab stands at a staggering ₹1.44 lakh crore,” Sh. Mann asserted.
Criticising the inaction of previous state administrations, the Chief Minister noted that the original agreement mandated a formal review every 25 years, a provision that went unutilized for decades.
He stated that the Punjab Government has now officially written to the Rajasthan Government seeking a high-level meeting to resolve the impasse and has also appraised the Union Government of the situation.
He reiterated his administration’s resolve to pursue the matter at all appropriate forums, vowing to “leave no stone unturned” to recover the state’s rightful financial dues.