JAIPUR: The Punjab government’s demand for Rs 1.44 lakh crore in royalty for canal water supplied to Rajasthan has reignited a dispute over water rights, with Rajasthan rejecting the claim as unconstitutional and refusing to pay.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said his government will fight for every drop of the state’s water, both in court and on the streets. Punjab argues that Rajasthan should pay for the water supplied over the years.
The Punjab Assembly recently passed a resolution on the issue during a special session after Irrigation Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal moved the proposal. Referring to water from the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers, the government sought payment from Rajasthan and urged the Centre to intervene to ensure annual compensation.
Mann raised the Rs 1.44 lakh crore demand in a formal letter in early March. The period covered, rates applied and calculation of the amount require clarification through official documents. The demand’s enforceability remains a separate question.
Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat rejected the demand on March 20, saying the state would not pay. Rajasthan maintains that its canal-water entitlement is based on historical agreements and established allocations, rather than an arrangement requiring the royalty sought by Punjab.
Rawat cited a 1920 agreement involving the British government and the princely states of Bahawalpur and Bikaner. According to him, the agreement provided water to irrigate about five lakh acres in Bikaner state. Its precise terms and relevance to the present claim would need to be examined alongside subsequent water-sharing arrangements.
Punjab has also argued that Rajasthan is not a riparian state in relation to the rivers concerned. Rajasthan, meanwhile, bases its position on agreed allocations and historical arrangements.
Canal water from Punjab supports irrigation and farming in north-western Rajasthan. Any disruption could affect agricultural needs, though the royalty demand itself does not establish that supplies have been reduced or stopped.
The dispute centres on whether the applicable agreements and legal provisions require Rajasthan to pay royalty. The calculation and legal basis of Punjab’s claim remain key questions.
With Punjab Assembly elections slated for early next year, political observers see electoral calculations behind the demand. The issue is also expected to fuel a political clash between Punjab and Rajasthan.
