Gurpreet Singh :- The ongoing dispute between Punjab and Rajasthan over water royalty has intensified, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announcing that the state will take the matter to court if it is not resolved through dialogue. The conflict has deepened after Rajasthan rejected Punjab’s claim, stating that there is no legal basis for charging royalty on inter-state canal water.
Addressing the issue, CM Mann asserted that Punjab is prepared to present its case before the judiciary and challenged Rajasthan to do the same. Taking a sharp dig, he remarked that no one admits wrongdoing without evidence, emphasizing that the matter would be pursued legally with supporting records.
Punjab has claimed that Rajasthan owes approximately ₹1.44 lakh crore in pending dues, calculated from 1960 to 2026, alleging that payments were discontinued after a system change decades ago. Mann argued that if Rajasthan continues to receive water under historical agreements, it must honor the financial obligations linked to them. He also questioned why payments were made in the past if no such liability existed.
Rajasthan, however, has firmly dismissed the claim, maintaining that inter-state water is a national resource governed by constitutional provisions, and no royalty or fee is applicable. The state has termed Punjab’s demand legally untenable.
Punjab has earlier sought a meeting with Rajasthan to resolve the matter and recover the alleged dues, but with positions hardening on both sides, the issue now appears headed for a legal battle that could have significant implications for inter-state water sharing arrangements in the country.
