The State of Punjab moved the Court alleging that the State of Himachal Pradesh is attempting to take over the project,
The project is located in Himachal Pradesh’s Jogindernagar but has been under the control of Punjab State Electricity Board pursuant to a lease agreement.
The British-era project was set up in 1925. The Himachal government recently sent a letter to the Punjab government asking that the property be handed over to the Himachal government since the 99-year-old lease in favour of the Punjab government is expiring by the end of March.
In an original suit before the top court, the Punjab government has sought a permanent prohibitory injunction to restrain the Himachal Pradesh government from disturbing the lawful peaceful possession and smooth functioning of the power project.
As per the plea, Punjab has been running the project since 1932, and therefore, the Himachal Pradesh government’s claims over it are “a political misadventure.”
“The defendant No. 1 (Himachal Pradesh government) is trying to illegally and wrongfully dispossess the plaintiff from the suit property and is trying to take over the said Project in a mala fide manner, without there being any legal or statutory right with the defendant … the facts on the ground indisputably confirm the ownership of the State of Punjab over the Shanan Power House Project and its Extension Project,” the plea said.
Source: Barandbench
