Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh chief ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar on Tuesday described the Supreme Court’s Nov 6 verdict on the Bhakra Beas Management Board dues as the culmination of decades of struggle, emphasising that successive govts had contributed to securing the state’s rightful share.Welcoming the verdict, Dhumal said Himachal Pradesh would receive 11,973 million units of electricity over 20 years towards settlement of outstanding dues. He said the Nov 6 decision reaffirmed the historic Sept 27, 2011, Supreme Court judgement, which recognised the state’s rights and directed payment of dues dating back to Nov 1, 1966.Dhumal credited successive BJP govts for pursuing the case vigorously, particularly after the state approached the Supreme Court in 1996. He said the BJP govt raised a demand of around Rs 4,300 crore following the 2011 verdict, but the amount remained unpaid, forcing the state to approach the apex court again.Shanta Kumar said the struggle began in 1977 when he approached then Prime Minister Morarji Desai to secure an ad hoc allocation of 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Bhakra.He also recalled his efforts with Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao to establish the principle of water royalty, which continues to benefit Himachal.Taking a dig at CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Kumar said he should not claim sole credit for the BBMB outcome and must acknowledge contributions of previous govts.Both leaders said Himachal’s interests should remain above party politics. Dhumal also urged the state govt to pursue its claim over the Shanan power project and other outstanding assets.
