Supreme Court Ends Decades-Old Bhakra-Nangal Power Disputeਸੁਪਰੀਮ ਕੋਰਟ ਨੇ ਭਾਖੜਾ-ਨੰਗਲ ਬਿਜਲੀ ਵਿਵਾਦ ਨਿਪਟਾਇਆ

The Supreme Court on Friday brought a decades-old inter-state dispute over the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas hydro-electric projects to a close, approving a cashless settlement under which Himachal Pradesh will receive 11,973 million units of electricity over 20 years from Punjab and Haryana.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana approved the arrangement, which was worked out through deliberations led by Attorney General R. Venkataramani and involving the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. The settlement implements Himachal Pradesh's entitlement to a 7.19 per cent share of the power generated by the projects, first recognised by the court in a 2011 decree.

How the figure was reached

The Central Electricity Authority had computed Himachal Pradesh's original entitlement at 13,066 million units. That figure was scaled down to 11,973 million units after an adjustment of 420 crore rupees towards historical capital expenditure and debt servicing incurred by Punjab and Haryana during the original construction of the river valley projects. The power will be supplied in kind, with no cash changing hands.

The dispute dates back to the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966. Himachal Pradesh had claimed a share of the power from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, arguing that its population share of the old composite state entitled it to 7.19 per cent of the power generated. The Supreme Court accepted that claim in a judgment dated 27 September 2011, with effect from 1 November 1966, but the execution of the decree remained deadlocked for 15 years.

The 12 per cent claim was rejected

The court had also considered Himachal Pradesh's separate claim to 12 per cent free power as the state where the projects' reservoirs are located. In the 2011 judgment, the court held that the state could claim no such right independent of the Constitution and that a 1985 Cabinet decision relied upon was a policy decision that could not create an enforceable legal right. The settlement approved on Friday is based on the 7.19 per cent share alone, and reports on social media describing a 12 per cent free power award are incorrect.

What it means for Punjab

For Punjab, the settlement closes a file that has hung over the state's power accounting since 1966. Punjab and Haryana will supply Himachal Pradesh's share in electricity over the next two decades under the court-approved framework, ending the long deadlock over how the 2011 decree would be executed. The order also settles the question of the historical costs of building the dams, which the court allowed Punjab and Haryana to set off against the power owed.

How much power will Himachal Pradesh receive?

Himachal Pradesh will receive 11,973 million units of electricity over 20 years from Punjab and Haryana under the Supreme Court-approved settlement.

Why is the share 7.19 per cent?

The Supreme Court held in 2011 that Himachal Pradesh's population share of the old composite Punjab entitled it to 7.19 per cent of the power from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects.

Was Himachal Pradesh awarded 12 per cent free power?

No. The Supreme Court rejected the 12 per cent free power claim in its 2011 judgment, holding that it was based on a policy decision, not an enforceable legal right.