There is need for restructuring of BBMB which is controlled by

Punjab.” Veerappa Moily,Union Energy Minister
pOWER-MEET
GeHLOT seeks Power Share in Punjab ProjectS

Prakash Bhandari

Jaipur

Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ,reiterated the demand for share in power in Anandpur Sahib Hydel Project,Mukerian Hydel Project,UBDC stage II,Thein Dam Project and ,Shahpur Kandi Hydel Project.

Rajasthan has already put forward that it should be given 575.54 megawatt of power from these hydel projects The allocation of the shared power is to be done by the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BMBM)which is controlled by Punjab.

But the claims of Rajasthan was referred to the Supreme Court where the matter is pending.

Rajasthan has demanded that till the issue of 575.54 MW was sorted out, Union government should give the exact power from its unallotted part to the state which is facing power shortage.

During a high-level meeting with the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here on Saturday Union Energy Minister Veerappa Moily the issue was raised once again. Moily agreed that Rajasthan was suffering immensely because it was not getting 575. 54 megawatt of power which is its rightful share.

Moily said that Punjab should abide by the 1981 agreement of sharing of Ravi-Beas water and also generate hydel power which was signed by the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan .

Moily said,“The agreement should be implemented in letter and spirit and there is need for restructuring of the BBMB which is controlled by Punjab. He added that his ministry would study the restructuring of the BMBM for

better governance so that the members state were not made to suffer.

Under this agreement which was signed in the presence of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Rajasthan was allotted 8.60 MAF of water,but Punjab withheld 0.60 MAF of water.

Similarly Rajasthan is not getting 0.17 MAF of water from Sidhmukh irrigation project through Bhakra-Nagal main canal.These two share of water is pending for almost three decade now causing the state

immense hardship.Similarly,

Rajasthan was put to great hardship as it was not getting the generated power which are being used by both Punjab and Haryana.