Himachal CM hits out at Punjab, Haryana over dues from Bhakra Beas Management Board

Shimla, Sep 15 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Monday said Punjab and Haryana are "our elder brothers" who should extend support to the hill state, as he accused them of obstructing payment of dues from the Bhakra Beas Management Board, despite the Supreme Court's decision.

He also said that the 99-year lease period of Shanan hydroelectric project, at Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, ended in March last year but Punjab has still not handed back its operations.

The chief minister was speaking at the valedictory session of a two-day national cooperative conference on Sunday evening, according to a statement issued here.

According to the statement issued on Monday, he inaugurated the Cyber Security Operations Centre of Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank, besides launching the bank's cooperative anthem and releasing a souvenir.

"Punjab and Haryana are our elder brothers, and they should extend support generously to us, yet Himachal Pradesh has to fight for its rightful share on several issues", he said.

Despite a challenging geography and small land holdings, cooperatives in Himachal Pradesh have been playing a crucial role in strengthening the rural economy, Sukhu said, and recalled the cooperative movement in the state in 1904 that received a major boost after full statehood in 1971.

Currently, more than 5000 cooperative societies are active in the state, including nearly 2000 primary agricultural credit societies that provide essential financial services to farmers and rural households.

Responding to a request from Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, he assured that the state government would consider providing relaxations under Section 118 of Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land reforms Act, 1972 to cooperative societies for purchasing land for business purposes.

He also asked the state cooperative bank to introduce a one-time settlement policy to help small farmers, orchardists, workers, and traders become debt-free.

Sukhu said that the state government had dissolved the Board of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank due to irregularities during the previous regime and reaffirmed that it would not tolerate misuse of public resources.

He further said that the Congress government is bringing major reforms in education, health and the rural economy sectors, despite suffering losses of nearly Rs 20,000 crore due to natural calamities over the past three years.

Referring to the safe rescue of 16,000 devotees stranded during the Manimahesh Yatra in Chamba district, Sukhu said that the spirit of compassion and service runs deep in Himachal Pradesh's culture, with locals ensuring that no stranded pilgrim went without food or assistance.

Union Minister of State for Cooperatives Krishna Pal Gurjar congratulated Himachal Pradesh on achieving 100 per cent literacy and underlined the Centre's initiatives to strengthen the cooperative sector.

He said the Union government had launched the "Sehkaar Taxi Sewa" for the people of Himachal, given the state's immense potential in tourism. He further suggested that Himachal's institutions could be affiliated to the proposed Tribhuvan Sahkari University and assured that the Centre would consider special fee concessions for the hill states.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the cooperative movement in Himachal began in in 1892 from Panjawar in Una district and since then this sector has made remarkable progress. Today, cooperative banks in the state hold deposits of nearly Rs 60,000 crore and people's trust in cooperatives must be preserved, he added.

Uttarakhand's Cooperative Minister Dhan Singh Rawat shared that more than 10 lakh farmers there had received agricultural loans through cooperatives and the state aiming to connect 15 lakh people with the movement, with a strong focus on women empowerment, the statement said. PTI BPL OZ OZ