Shanan Power Project: Punjab says 110-MW project its ‘right’, hours after Sukhu sought Centre help to reclaim it

The Punjab delegation, arsenic per an authoritative statement, said Shanan task is the close of Punjab nether the Punjab Reorganization Act.

The Shanan task was commissioned successful 1932. The Shanan hydroelectric powerhouse was built nether a 99-year lease betwixt Joginder Sen, the past king of Mandi authorities and British technologist Col BC Batty successful 1925. During the reorganisation of states successful November 1966, the powerhouse was fixed to Punjab for a 99-year lease which expired connected March 2, 2024.

The Centre had, successful March, ordered presumption quo connected the task arsenic an interim measure. Khattar is learnt to person told the authorities authorities that the substance was successful the Supreme Court and the tribunal would decide. To this, the ministers told him that the Centre should springiness its reply to SC successful favour of Punjab.

Earlier successful the day, Khattar had held a gathering with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who sought the Union government’s assistance successful securing the instrumentality of Shanan Project from Punjab. Sukhu stated that Punjab’s lease play for the task has ended and urged the Union authorities to intervene to guarantee the project’s transportation to the state, on with each its assets. The CM argued that the country of the Shanan Project was ne'er portion of erstwhile Punjab and hence the Punjab Re-organization Act of 1966 does not use connected it.

Khattar, sources said, assured Sukhu that helium would reappraisal the Act and instrumentality due enactment accordingly.

Later, Khttar told reporters successful Shimla that helium and Sukhu held a treatment connected the Shanan project. “I person asked the authorities authorities to supply maine with the acrophobic components of Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 which deals with the Shanan project. I judge the 2 states volition find a solution to the matter,” helium said.

Sukhu had past period said that it was clip for the Punjab authorities to handover the century-old powerfulness task to the state. Sukhu had besides written to Punjab past twelvemonth that they would not renew the lease. This had snowballed into a large contention then. After penning the missive to Punjab, Sukhu had met Union Minister for Power R K Singh and asked for the Centre’s intervention.

He had wanted the Union Minister to contented “necessary directions to the Punjab authorities for taking mandatory steps for handing implicit the task to the State earlier the expiry of the lease period.”