Dhumal to end ‘isolation’, start talks with Punjab

The other crucial issue to be discussed is the road link between Chandigarh and Baddi-Brotiwala, which has remained shelved for several years.

The previous Congress Government in Himachal had taken a decision not to enter into any joint venture with Punjab till it agreed to clear pending liabilities and stopped creating hurdles in Himachal’s development. However, Dhumal said, “We can’t live in isolation. Himachal and Punjab share not only geographical boundaries but also emotional bonds. The BJP Government will strengthen the mutual ties and struggle to get its legitimate share from Punjab.” On a progressive note, Dhumal will propose to Badal to take up projects of mutual benefit in the infrastructure and tourism sectors.

Regarding power, he added, “What we have is a mere two-and-a-half per cent of power share. Shanan project, located at Jogindernagar in Himachal, is owned and run by the Punjab Electricity Board.”

The Congress, during its 1993-1998 tenure, had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court for the implementation of the States’ Reoganisation Act 1967, which gave Himachal a share of 7.19 per cent. The petition is still pending in the apex court. A year ago, the state Assembly had passed a resolution to ask the Centre to give its legitimate share from joint properties.

On Wednesday evening, Dhumal also spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri and sought his cooperation to ask the Centre for a package to preserve forest wealth and surrender its right to exploit it for revenue generation.