Himachal Pradesh Seeks 7.19% Share in Chandigarh Under Punjab Reorganisation Act: CM Sukhu Presses Key Demands at Northern Zonal Council Meet

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday reiterated that the state must be granted its rightful 7.19% share in Chandigarh’s land and assets, as mandated under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. He raised this demand during the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Faridabad, chaired by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.

Sukhu referenced the 2011 Supreme Court judgment, which upheld Himachal Pradesh’s 7.19% entitlement based on population-ratio transfer at the time of Punjab’s reorganisation. He also pressed for the release of pending dues from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the appointment of a permanent member from Himachal on the BBMB, in line with the court’s ruling.

Key Demands Raised by the Chief Minister

1. Release of BBMB dues and state representation
Sukhu sought the prompt release of BBMB’s pending payments and demanded that Himachal have a permanent representative on the Board.

2. Transfer of 40-year-old hydropower projects
He urged that hydropower projects operating in the state for more than 40 years be handed over to Himachal Pradesh.

3. Implementation of free power royalty policy
The Chief Minister called for enforcing the policy that entitles the state to 12% free electricity royalty from centrally run hydropower projects. He further requested that the royalty be increased to 50% for projects whose capital costs have already been recovered.

4. Full central funding for Kishau and Renuka dam projects
Sukhu demanded complete central funding for the power components of the under-construction Kishau and Renuka dam hydropower projects, and proposed that once commissioned, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand share the generated power equally.

Sukhu said that despite the state’s financial constraints, a special relief package had been extended to disaster-hit families. However, Himachal is still awaiting nearly ₹10,000 crore under the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) framework and the ₹1,500-crore package announced by the Prime Minister. He requested the Centre to release the funds without delay.

The Chief Minister also sought a special provision under the Forest Conservation Act, allowing up to one bigha of forest land to be allotted to disaster-affected families for constructing access roads, given that most land in the state falls under forest jurisdiction.

He urged the Centre to review national disaster relief norms, noting the increasing vulnerability of Himalayan states, and recommended amendments to both pre-disaster and post-disaster management criteria. Sukhu also called for a special task force to compensate Himachal for the ₹9,478 crore revenue deficit following the end of GST compensation.

Highlighting the state’s strategic and tourism significance, Sukhu underscored the urgent need to expand air connectivity.
“The state government is working on expanding the Kangra airport,” he said, adding that the Centre should bear the land acquisition cost, provide full funding, and prepare a separate master plan for the development of small airports and heliports.

Sukhu further pressed for a prompt resolution of inter-state boundary issues between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh in the Sarchu and Shinkula regions. He also sought the establishment of a high-altitude research centre, ice hockey stadium, adventure sports centre, and other training facilities in border and high-altitude areas.

On the issue of drug abuse—particularly the menace of chitta—the Chief Minister said Himachal Pradesh was strictly enforcing law and order while simultaneously expanding treatment and rehabilitation initiatives for affected individuals.