Energy arrears bill runs up to Rs 3851.11 Crore
Shimla: Implementing the Supreme Court judgment, the central government has ordered allocation of 7.19 % share of energy from Bhakra-Beas projects to Himachal from Tuesday even as the state has tabulated Rs 3851.11 Cr arrears energy bill for the period it was denied its share since the projects were commissioned.
A union power ministry order on Monday has let the stake holder states and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) know about re-allocation of share in the 1478.78 MW Bhakra Nangal project, 990 MW Dehar Power house and 396 MW Pong power house in accordance with the courts order.
While the share of Rajasthan remains unaffected; that of Himachal has been raised to 7.19 percent in all three generation plants; that of Chandigarh has been kept at 3.50%; of Punjab at 51.80 %; and that of Haryana at 37.51 percent.
Earlier Himachal was only getting 2.19% from Bhakra project, 15 MW from Dehar and nothing from Pong Dam project.
Till Monday the hill state was only entitled to 47.38 MW of power share out of a total capacity of 2864.7 MW in the three projects, from Tuesday the share has increased to 206 MW.
Secretary Law, AC Dogra, who was the nodal officer for the protracted legal battle at the apex court, confirmed having received the union governments directive for implementing the courts order from 1st November.
Meanwhile HP State Electricity Board (HPSEB), entrusted with the task of calculating the arrears due to the state for being denied its share in the BBMB projects since they were commissioned, in accordance with the courts order has run up a Rs 3851.11 crore energy bill that remains unpaid, which includes a 6% interest charge.
HPSEB sources revealed that the amount due from Bhakra complex was a whopping Rs 2520.08 Cr, from Dehar it was Rs 907.52 Cr and from Pong Dam project it was Rs 423.51 Cr.
Failing to settle an inter-state dispute about allocation of assets for decades following Re-organization of Punjab Act, 1966, Himachal had moved the Supreme Court in 1996, pleading that as a successor state it was entitled to 7.19 % share in the BBMB projects.
After the union government failed to settle the dispute out of court, a Supreme Courts division bench consisting of Justice RV Raveendran and Justice AK Patnaik decided the matter on merits on 27th September, 2011.
The judges disallowed the state plea for 12% free power from the projects but upheld the prayer for being allocated 7.19 % share in them as a successor state.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
Though it is very late decision, but afterall the H.P. Government/ Himachal has got its share in the engery one part. Where is the remaining share of 7.19 which is in the part of Chandigarh and for which the Himachal Pradesh is entitled there at Chandigarh. The matter was taken up with the Union Government by from the flatform of Himachal Non Gazetted Services Federation, as its then Press Secretary. The then Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, during 1988-89, Mr. Vir Bhadra Singh had appreciated my effots for taking up the issue with the Union Government.