Chandigarh: The Punjab government has raised a claim of ₹973 crore from Jammu and Kashmir over cost-sharing in major dam projects, including the Ranjit Sagar and Shahpur Kandi dams.
Punjab has demanded ₹301.02 crore as Jammu and Kashmir’s share in the Ranjit Sagar Dam and ₹672.42 crore for the Shahpur Kandi project, taking the total outstanding to around ₹973 crore.
The state’s Water Resources Department has also sought a meeting with J&K officials for an early resolution of the issue.
Citing a bilateral agreement signed on January 20, 1979, Punjab said Jammu and Kashmir was liable to pay 10% of the irrigation component cost during the construction of the Ranjit Sagar (Thein) Dam.
In a letter to J&K’s Jal Shakti Department, Punjab referred to financial assessments by the dam’s financial advisor and chief accounts officer. The calculation includes pending dues along with interest up to February 28, 2026.
The move comes days after Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann also sought pending water royalty dues from Rajasthan, indicating a broader push by the state to recover financial claims related to water resources.
