The Supreme Court on November 6 directed Punjab and Haryana to supply Himachal Pradesh 11,973 million units of electricity over 20 years, closing a suit filed in 1996.

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• The verdict came in a suit Himachal Pradesh filed in 1996 under Article 131, which covers the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction in disputes between states.
• The dispute concerned Himachal's share of power from the Bhakra-Nangal and Beas projects managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board.
• The court directed Punjab and Haryana to supply about 11,973 million units of electricity arrears to Himachal over 20 years.
• Its 2011 judgment declared Himachal entitled to 7.19 percent of the power attributable to the erstwhile composite Punjab, under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
• That 2011 ruling gave retrospective effect from November 1, 1966, but arrears from earlier years remained unresolved.
• The 2011 decree fixed Punjab's share at 51.80 percent, Haryana's at 37.51 percent and Chandigarh's at 3.50 percent.
• The Board has supplied Himachal's 7.19 percent share only since November 2011, while dues for earlier decades stayed unpaid.
• Himachal's liability for 7.19 percent of the projects' capital cost, assessed at Rs 420.77 crore, is to be adjusted against the energy arrears.
• Himachal will pay the charges determined by the Board for the year in which it receives each tranche of electricity.
• Bar and Bench reported that the court accepted a cashless settlement framework.
• Himachal's chief minister said the state would receive 60 crore units a year for 20 years, and state ministers claimed extra revenue of up to Rs 1,000 crore annually.

Tags: BBMB, Article131, HimachalPradesh