COURTESY TOI AUG 26

Hry, Pb, HP to discuss disputes
Deepak.Yadav@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:

Union home minster Amit Shah will chair the Northern Zonal Council meeting, scheduled for September 3 in Chandigarh. The issues to be discussed include boundary dispute between Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the approval needed under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 for the construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), enhancing the capacity of head regulator of Indira Gandhi Feeder (IGF) at Harike and Rajasthan’s claim for the credit of proportionate amount received from Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) for 15 MW supply from Dehar Power Plant for the period between January 1979 and January 2012.

Chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan and the administrator of union territory of Chandigarh will attend the meeting.

Haryana, which has tabled its boundary dispute with Himachal Pradesh, claimed that the dispute arose because Himachal does not accept joint forest demarcations.

Also in the agenda is the permission that is required under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 to construct roads under PMGSY. Himachal, which tabled it, said, it takes about two years to get final approval, slowing down projects. Himachal has also raised the issue of payment of compensatory afforestation and net present value under PMGSY.

Rajasthan is pitching for enhancement of the capacity of head regulator of IGF — from 15,000 cusecs to 18,500 cusecs. It said Punjab, the other party involved, is yet to respond