Sunam, July 31: A day after the Punjab government sent a bill of ₹113.24 crore to Haryana for pending operation and maintenance costs of the Bhakra canal system, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Thursday that discussions were ongoing to resolve the matter through dialogue.
“Discussions are going on (between the two states) and the solution will be found by sitting together,” Saini told reporters in Sunam, where he paid tribute to Shaheed Udham Singh on his 86th martyrdom anniversary.
The remarks came in response to a notice issued by the Punjab finance department, which has demanded settlement of pending liabilities under the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema had said Wednesday that his government was vigorously pursuing recovery of long-standing dues from partner states in BBMB, especially Haryana.
“This ₹113.24-crore bill has been formally forwarded to the Haryana government,” Cheema said. “It represents the arrears owed for the upkeep of shared water infrastructure, and past governments failed to defend Punjab’s interests in BBMB.”
The dispute has escalated amid rising tensions over water-sharing, deployment of security forces at Nangal Dam, and BBMB’s recent decision to release 4,500 cusecs of additional water to Haryana.
While the Centre-backed BBMB paid ₹8.58 crore to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the deployment of CISF at critical water infrastructure sites, including Bhakra and Pong dams, Punjab has resisted central control and deployed additional Punjab Police at Nangal dam.
An internal audit had flagged Haryana’s outstanding dues, according to Cheema, prompting the demand.
Despite the financial standoff, Saini — who arrived in Sunam ahead of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal — sought to keep the tone conciliatory. After laying floral tributes at Udham Singh’s memorial, he also planted a sapling and interacted with the martyr’s family, calling his legacy “a source of eternal inspiration.”
The Bhakra dues issue adds another layer to the long-standing interstate water dispute between Punjab and Haryana, rooted in the contentious history of river sharing in the region.
Read more: Punjab Demands ₹113 Cr Dues from Haryana for Bhakra Channel Repairs
