Punjab Demands ₹113 Cr Dues from Haryana for Bhakra Channel Repairs

by The_unmuteenglish

Chandigarh, July 31: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday said the state has formally demanded ₹113.24 crore from Haryana for long-pending reimbursements related to the operation and maintenance of the Bhakra canal systems.

Addressing the media at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema said, “The Punjab Government has forwarded the BBMB dues to the Haryana Government for settlement after a detailed reconciliation process confirmed the outstanding amounts.”

According to Cheema, the pending amount includes ₹103.92 crore owed to the Executive Engineer of the BML Canal Division in Patiala and ₹9.32 crore to the Mansa Canal Division at Jawaharke. These dues relate to Punjab’s expenditure on the common carrier channels of the Bhakra system shared with partner states under the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

Cheema took aim at previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments in the state, accusing them of failing to assert Punjab’s interests within BBMB. He claimed this negligence allowed partner states to overdraw water beyond their allotted share and avoid timely payments.

“Had the earlier governments fulfilled their duties, Punjab wouldn’t be left chasing its own dues today,” he said.

The Finance Minister also addressed a separate issue regarding the BBMB’s request for Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployment. He said the Punjab Vidhan Sabha had unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the proposal, asserting that Punjab Police is fully capable of safeguarding BBMB assets.

“This resolution, representing the will of three crore Punjabis, has been sent to both the Centre and BBMB. Our police force has never allowed any security breach at these sensitive installations,” he said.

Cheema underlined that the Aam Aadmi Party-led government is actively pursuing unresolved issues concerning BBMB and vowed to protect the state’s rights.

“We are committed to securing Punjab’s dues and interests. This proactive approach is essential to prevent exploitation and ensure fairness in the management of shared resources,” he said.

 

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