Himachal BJP accuses CM Sukhu of "misrepresenting facts" on Kishau project; says Centre deserve credit for pact

Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajeev Bindal on Monday accused Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of “misrepresenting facts” about the Kishau Multipurpose Project and claimed that the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah deserved credit for resolving the long-pending inter-state project.

Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajeev Bindal on Monday accused Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of “misrepresenting facts” about the Kishau Multipurpose Project and claimed that the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah deserved credit for resolving the long-pending inter-state project. Bindal said the agreement for the project on the Tons River involved six states and had become possible after the Centre agreed to bear 90 per cent of the cost of its water component.

“The agreement for the Kishau Multipurpose Project involving six states has happened after the persistent efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. We thank both of them for making this agreement possible,” Bindal told ANI. The Rs 15,624-crore Kishau project, proposed on the Tons river along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, is a 422-MW multipurpose project. The Centre has announced that 90 per cent of the cost of the water component will be provided as central assistance, while the remaining 10 per cent will be shared by the participating states.

Bindal said the Centre's decision in 2025 to bear 90 per cent of the water-component cost was the key factor that enabled the agreement to move forward. “The water component is the biggest component of this project, and 90 per cent of its cost is being borne by the Central Government. This decision was taken by the Modi government, and because of this decision the entire agreement could become successful,” he said.

He alleged that the state government was attempting to take credit for a project that had remained pending for decades. “The Chief Minister is only trying to mislead the people by twisting and presenting the facts. The credit for this project goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Central Government,” Bindal said.

The BJP leader also questioned the decision under which Himachal Pradesh's share of water from the project would be allocated to Delhi and Rajasthan in return for these states sharing the cost of Himachal Pradesh's portion of the power component. The Centre had earlier confirmed that consensus was reached to allocate Himachal Pradesh's water share to Delhi and Rajasthan in return for sharing the cost of the state's power component. Bindal claimed that Himachal Pradesh would have to spend around Rs 1,764 crore towards its share of the power component and said Delhi and Rajasthan would bear that liability in a 75:25 ratio.

“On the power component, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have to share the cost. Himachal Pradesh's estimated share is around Rs 1,764 crore, but Delhi and Rajasthan have agreed to bear this cost in the ratio of 75:25. In return, Himachal Pradesh has given its share of water to Delhi and Rajasthan,” he said. He alleged that the arrangement amounted to the state giving up a long-term water resource that, according to him, could have been used to develop irrigation and horticulture in Sirmaur.

“When the dam is constructed, around 250 metres high, the water could have been used to develop irrigation channels in Himachal Pradesh. Agriculture and horticulture in Sirmaur could have developed substantially through this water,” Bindal said. He cited the development of irrigation in the Paonta Doon area following earlier water and power projects as an example of the potential benefits of irrigation infrastructure.

“Paonta Doon has become a major agricultural area because irrigation water became available through canals. The economic condition of farmers improved because of irrigation. Similar opportunities could have emerged in Sirmaur,” he said. Bindal also questioned the Chief Minister's assertion that Himachal Pradesh would earn around Rs 1,200 crore annually from the project once operational.

“Chief Minister Sukhu says Himachal Pradesh will earn Rs 1,200 crore every year. If the state's expenditure is around Rs 1,764 crore, that amount could theoretically be recovered in about one-and-a-half years. Then why was the farmer's water required to be given away for such a long period?” he asked. Chief Minister Sukhu has said Himachal Pradesh is expected to earn around Rs 1,200 crore annually from the 422-MW project once it becomes operational. He has also said the state would receive its share of electricity without bearing the estimated cost of the power component, following the agreement with the beneficiary states.

Bindal said the long-term implications of the water-sharing arrangement should be examined, particularly in view of future changes in the cost and availability of electricity. “If the government is calculating Rs 1,200 crore a year as income, it should also calculate what the value of electricity will be 10 years from now, particularly with the declining cost of solar power,” he said.

He further alleged that the agreement could affect future agricultural and employment opportunities in Sirmaur and said the concerns of people likely to be displaced by the project also needed to be addressed. “Those who are going to be displaced are also opposing the project and saying they will not give up their land. Around 2,000 to 2,500 people in Himachal Pradesh are expected to be affected and their rehabilitation, livelihood and income-related concerns must be addressed,” Bindal said.

The project is expected to submerge land in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and involve displacement, while its wider benefits include water storage, irrigation and hydropower generation. The Centre has said the project will irrigate around 97,000 hectares and generate clean hydropower. Bindal said the Kishau agreement should also be viewed in the context of other inter-state water and infrastructure projects that had remained pending because of differences among states.

“This is not only about Kishau. Several inter-state projects have remained pending for decades because of differences between states. The Central Government under Prime Minister Modi has been working to resolve these issues through consensus,” he said. He also credited the Centre with facilitating the implementation of other long-pending projects, including the Renukaji Dam project in Himachal Pradesh.

“There is nothing in this project in which the Himachal Pradesh government or the Chief Minister has made the decisive contribution. The major contribution has come from the Central Government. We welcome the project, but the credit should go to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Central Government,” Bindal said. The BJP leader said the Kishau project had a long history, with its detailed project report completed decades ago, but differences over cost-sharing and other issues had delayed its implementation.

According to the official Kishau Corporation project status, a joint venture between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand was formed in 2015, while the apportionment of project costs between the power and water components was approved by the Central Water Commission in 2018. Bindal also criticised the state government's publicity surrounding the agreement.

“Within 24 hours of the agreement, advertisements worth crores were being displayed across the state. This is an attempt to create an impression among the people that the Chief Minister alone has achieved something which has been pending for decades,” he alleged. He accused the government of making announcements without adequate groundwork and said, “The people are troubled, while the Chief Minister is celebrating. The government is selling dreams, but the people need results on the ground.”

Asked whether a future BJP government could review the arrangement and protect the interests of farmers, Bindal said the issue would be examined when his party came to power. “The agreement has been made by them and the water has been allocated by them. When our government comes, we will see how the interests of the farmers can be protected,” he said.

On the Chief Minister's shifting to his new office in the Secretariat and his statement that he could occupy it for the next 15 to 20 years, Bindal said the BJP would respond at an appropriate time after gathering the relevant information. “We will collect the appropriate information and respond at the appropriate time. In a democracy, it is the people who decide who occupies which office,” he said.

Bindal reiterated that the BJP welcomed the Kishau agreement but opposed what he described as an attempt to claim political credit for a decision in which, he said, the Centre had played the decisive role. “We welcome this agreement wholeheartedly. But the credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Central Government. Our objection is only to the attempt to take credit by presenting the facts differently,” he said. (ANI)