Shimla, Sept. 15: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called on Punjab and Haryana to act as “elder brothers” by resolving long-standing disputes, including the return of the 110MW Shanan hydroelectric project and the release of arrears due from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
Speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day national cooperative conference in Shimla on Sunday, Sukhu said Himachal had often been denied its fair share. “Despite the expiry of the lease period of the Shanan hydroelectric project, it has not been given back to the state from Punjab, and arrears due from BBMB have also been delayed despite a Supreme Court decision,” he noted.
The dispute traces back to the British-era Shanan hydropower project at Jogindernagar in Mandi district. Built in 1925 under a lease between Mandi’s ruler Joginder Sen and Col. B.C. Batty of undivided Punjab, the project is still operated by Punjab. Himachal has been pressing for its transfer since gaining statehood in 1971, following the merger of hilly areas from Punjab in 1966. The state is also demanding ₹4,200 crore in arrears from its 7.19% share in BBMB.
“Punjab and Haryana are our elder brothers, and they should extend support generously to their younger brother,” Sukhu said.
At the same event, the chief minister inaugurated the Cyber Security Operations Centre of the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, launched the bank’s anthem, and released a souvenir. He stressed that cooperatives had played a pivotal role in strengthening the rural economy despite the state’s tough geography and small landholdings.
Sukhu said the cooperative movement, which began in Himachal in 1904, expanded rapidly after statehood. Today, the state has over 5,000 cooperative societies, including nearly 2,000 primary agricultural credit societies serving farmers and rural households.
Responding to a suggestion by deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Sukhu said the government would consider providing relaxations under Section 118 for cooperative societies to purchase land for business purposes. He also urged the State Cooperative Bank to introduce a one-time settlement policy to help small farmers, orchardists, workers, and traders become debt-free.
Reforms and resilience
The chief minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to reforms, noting that the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank board had been dissolved over irregularities under the previous regime. “We will not tolerate misuse of public resources,” Sukhu said, adding that the Congress government was bringing significant reforms in education, health, and the rural economy.
He pointed out that despite natural calamities causing losses of nearly ₹20,000 crore over the past three years, the state had continued to sustain its pace of development.
