Punjab CM Mann Demands Rajasthan Pay Decades-Old Water Dues

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced that the state will seek royalty from Rajasthan for supplying water, claiming that dues amounting to around ₹1.44 lakh crore have been pending since 1960. The demand is based on a 1920 tripartite agreement between the British government, the state of Bahawalpur (now in Pakistan), and the then Maharaja of Bikaner, under which Rajasthan began receiving water from Punjab.

Mann said Rajasthan had paid royalty for water supplied under the agreement until 1960 but stopped payments thereafter, and Punjab had not pursued the dues for decades. “We have worked out an outstanding figure of ₹1.44 lakh crore, calculated at old rates, which has been pending since 1960. If Rajasthan claims there was no agreement, they should not take the water they are receiving under the 1920 agreement,” he said.

According to the Chief Minister, Rajasthan currently receives 18,000 cusecs of water through the Rajasthan feeder. “You are taking 18,000 cusecs of water from us. So why have you stopped paying money for 66 years?” he asked, emphasizing that the 1920 agreement has not been terminated.

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Mann added that the Punjab government has formally written to Rajasthan seeking talks on the matter. “We will demand royalty from Rajasthan, and the Centre will also be involved in the discussions,” he said, signaling that the issue could escalate into an inter-state water dispute if not resolved amicably.

The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid broader debates over water sharing between states in India, where historical agreements often clash with current demands. Punjab’s move underscores the state’s intent to assert its legal and financial rights over resources supplied under longstanding agreements.

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