After securing a landmark victory in the JSW energy case in the Supreme Court, the Himachal Pradesh government, under the leadership of CM Sukhu, has intensified efforts to recover long-pending energy arrears from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects. The case, involving arrears that have remained unresolved for over 14 years, is scheduled to be heard by a new Supreme Court bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi on 29th July 2025.
A government spokesperson stated that the state has consistently pursued its rightful claim to energy arrears at a rate of 7.19 percent from November 1966 or from the date of commissioning of subsequent BBMB projects. To ensure a robust representation, the State has constituted a distinguished legal team including senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Parag Tripathi, and J.S. Attri, along with Himachal Pradesh Advocate General Anup Rattan and Additional Advocate General Vaibhav Shrivastava.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2011 verdict, which directed BBMB to begin delivering Himachal Pradesh’s power share at 7.19 percent from 1st November 2011, the Ministry of Power had submitted a detailed energy arrears statement covering the period from November 1966 to October 2011. The report confirmed that the State is entitled to 13,066 million units of power, with arrears to be settled by Punjab and Haryana in a 60:40 ratio. However, despite these clear directions, no conclusive payment mechanism has been implemented, and the case has faced repeated delays due to procedural issues and the lack of clarity from the Attorney General and Ministry of Power.
Reaffirming its resolve, the state government has made it clear that it will continue to press the matter with full legal force and will take all necessary steps to recover what is legally and rightfully due to Himachal Pradesh.
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