*Punjab wants J&K to ratify agreement
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 12: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today called upon the States of Northern Zonal Council (NZC) to take care of Kashmiri people including students and businessmen and ensure that they were not harassed even as the Centre Government was mulling the option of blocking one lakh million acre water of river Ravi flowing into Pakistan and allow Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab to share the water equally. The Centre has also decided to share burden of J&K by constructing barrage and remaining part of Ranjit Sagar dam project.
Rajnath gave the directions after the issues were raised at the NZC meet by Jammu and Kashmir delegation comprising Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu and Chief Secretary BB Vyas among others.
Rajnath asked representatives of NZC member States including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Union Territory of Chandigarh and National Capital Territory of Delhi to direct law and order agencies to ensure that Kashmiri students and businessmen in their States were not harassed. The Kashmiri people should be provided conducive atmosphere of studies and business, he added.
Rajnath advised all the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries that the youth of Kashmir, wherever they are studying, should be treated well and made feel that they are welcomed. He told the Chief Ministers that the Kashmiris should be provided comfortable environment wherever they are. “They may be working or studying, they should be extended warmth. This was an important message he gave to all the CMs,” sources quoted Rajnath Singh as having said.
The J&K delegation also comprised Commissioner/ Secretary, PDD, Dheeraj Gupta, Commissioner/ Secretary, PHE, Sourabh Bhagat, Secretary, Horticulture, M H Malik and Officer on Special Duty to Deputy Chief Minister, Shakti Pathak.
The J&K delegation forcefully took up the issue of power, water and related facilities from Ranjit Sagar dam in Punjab and, sources said, the response of Centre and Punjab Government was very positive.
Significantly, according to sources, new Congress Government in Punjab headed by Capt Amarinder Singh, which had taken over in March, has agreed to endorse the agreement, executed by the previous Akali Dal-BJP Government with Jammu and Kashmir, setting at rest the speculations that the new Government might not honour the agreement.
Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh reportedly told the NZC meeting that Jammu and Kashmir should now ratify the agreement for its early implementation.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Government of India has agreed to fully fund the construction of barrage and remaining part of dam at Ranjit Sagar dam, which is located in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, bordering Kathua, constructed on the canal from Shahpur Kandi Barrage to Madhopur headworks, downstream of the existing Ranjit Sagar dam.
Senior officials of J&K and Punjab were in touch with each other as well as with the representatives of Union Ministry of Water Resources and River Conservation on implementation of the agreement and construction of remaining part of the project. The Centre’s decision to construct barrage and remaining part of the dam would benefit both the neighbouring States of J&K and Punjab, sources pointed out.
The Jammu and Kashmir delegation had detailed inter-action with Central team and Punjab officials on host of issues mainly those connected with Ranjit Sagar dam and there was unanimity on virtually all the issues including Clauses of the Agreement reached between the two States in March this year when Akali Dal-BJP Government was in power in Punjab.
Sources said the Government of India has taken bold decision of blocking one lakh million acre feet water of river Ravi, which flows from Punjab into Pakistan, every year under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
“The water will be shared equally by Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab,” sources said, adding the water would be utilized in the barrage and dam and irrigation of 1.05 lakh acre Kandi belt of Kathua and Samba districts, which will bring green revolution in these two districts of Jammu region.
Asserting that one lakh million acre feet water was flowing into Pakistan from river Ravi, which flows on the border of Punjab and Jammu, sources said the construction of barrage, dam and canal would block this flow and water will be utilized for irrigation purposes by the two States including J&K and Punjab.
They added that Jammu and Kashmir 180 MW electricity from Main Thein Dam, which comes out at 20 per cent of total generation from the project at very reasonable rate of Rs 3.5 per unit.
Out of total 600 MW power generation at Main Thein dam, Jammu and Kashmir will get 140 MW while from 206 MW power generation from barrage, the State will get 40 MW, making it a total of 180 MW. This would reduce Jammu and Kashmir’s dependence on the Grid for power supply to some extent, sources pointed out.
When approached for comments, Commissioner/ Secretary, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sourabh Bhagat, who had signed the agreement with Punjab Government on behalf of Jammu and Kashmir Government on March 4 this year, told the Excelsior that 1100 acre feet of barren and Kandi land in Kathua and Samba districts will become fertile with release of water in the canal.
Bhagat said the canal would almost have an equal water flow like that of Ranbir canal, which gets 1100 acre feet water from river Chenab in Akhnoor and flows up to RS Pura tail end. The new canal, which had been constructed about 15 years back, will get water from Ravi and irrigate almost an equal area in the two districts, he added.
The deal clinched in March this year by the two State Governments had earlier remained elusive as all previous State Governments in J&K had insisted on Rs 8000 crores worth compensation from Punjab for the losses suffered by J&K on account of power and water, which Punjab had to give to the State in lieu of construction of Shahpur Kandi project. Punjab had outrightly rejected J&K demand for compensation of previous losses but had agreed to give power and water in future to the State.
As per 1979 agreement, Punjab had to give 20% power, 15% employment and 1150 cusecs water to J&K as 60% area in Ranjit Sagar dam, which submerged, belonged to Basohli tehsil of Kathua district. However, Punjab scrapped the agreement in 1984. About 1100 families of Basohli, whose land was submerged, were still fighting the battle for employment.
After Ranjit Sagar dam completion, Shahpur Kandi project was taken up. Punjab will construct 2.3 kms long canal from the project while rest has to be constructed by the State Government.
In the agreement, J&K had agreed to give up its rigid demand of Rs 8000 crores worth compensation.
The project is being built with an estimated cost of Rs. 2285.81 crore (April, 2008 price level) and is included in the Scheme of National Projects by Government of India. Under the scheme, the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, headed by Uma Bharti will provide Central assistance at the rate of 90 per cent of the balance cost of works component of irrigation and water supply.
The construction of Shahpur Kandi project was taken up in May 1999 but later halted in 2014 due to dispute between Punjab and J&K. The project was conceived in late seventies and since then had been mired in controversies as Punjab had refused to give J&K power and water in lieu of using its share of water
The project will continue to be implemented by the Government of Punjab. However, there will be a tripartite team headed by Member, Central Water Commission (CWC) and consisting of Chief Engineers of two States to monitor the project as and when required but at least once in three months to ensure that the construction is as per the agreement.
The Jammu and Kashmir delegation also took up the issue of Kashmir and Kishtwar saffron and wanted the Central Government to brand it in national and international markets. They also demanded that import duty on apple should be raised to assist apple industry of Kashmir.
Official sources said Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh focused on three major issues including 120 MW power from Ranjit Safar dam project for Jammu and Kashmir. He said horticulture is important to economy of the State.
“Apple and saffron are important cash crops,” he said and flagged the issues crucial for these crops to strengthen the economics of the State.
Dr Singh also raised the issue of losses caused to the State in view of Indus Water Treaty and their compensation.
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