Two latest issues have stirred state's politics. One is Punjab's demand for royalty from the neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan for using the waters of the rivers flowing through its territory. The other is interlinking of the country's rivers. The Akali Dal's Core Committee on Political Affairs passed a resolution last week stating that the royalty demand was in accordance with a nationally and internationally accepted riparian principle which stipulates that a state through which a river flows has the right to demand royalty on the supply of water to other states.

If the riparian principle is strictly followed, Punjab has the right for royalty on river waters flowing through its territory. But its royalty demand is bound to open Pandora's Box as after the state's reorganization in 1966 its successor states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh will also claim royalty from Punjab for using their shares in water and power resources. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already demanded that Punjab should compensate his state for using Haryana's share of water to which it was entitled under the 1966 Punjab Reorganisation Act. Himachal will not lose this new opportunity to reiterate its claim of 12 percent royalty in all hydro projects set up in Punjab on the plea that the main rivers of the state originate in Himachal. It has already demanded that the110 MW Shanan Hydro Project at Joginder Nagar in Himachal Pradesh which is at present with the Punjab government be handed over to Himachal, arguing that it is in the state's territory and using its water.

The royalty issue, in a way, is linked with the question of interlinking of the country's rivers. The Centre had mooted the proposal some years ago. A Minister was also assigned the job to work on the modalities and a consensus for its implementation. As many states including Punjab opposed the move, the matter has been resting in the cold storage.

Years ago a prediction was made that the next world war will be fought on the water issue. Whether this happens or not is difficult to predict. But many states of India including those of north-western region have already been at loggerheads with each other on river waters sharing issue.

Punjab's opposition to the interlinking of rivers is understandable. The state's economy is dependent on agriculture. It fears that if the country's rivers are interlinked the state might lose some of its river waters which feed the state's vast irrigation network enabling it produce huge surpluses to country's foodgrains kitty.

The state's opposition to interlinking of rivers can, however, be faulted by the argument that centralized control of country's natural resources will be in the overall interests of the states and the country's economy. For instance, had there been no centralized control of power generation through national power grid, the power deficit states including the power-hungry Punjab would not have been able to fully meet their urgent power requirements.

River waters interlinking is the latest issue to widen the differences between Punjab's coalition partners. In sharp contrast to the Akali leadership's stand, Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma says that “there should be centralised control of natural resources” adding “till this is done, we stand by the Akali Dal in demanding royalty on water.” Like differences on some other matters, its desire of sticking to the 'gaddi' is prompting the BJP to toe the Akali Dal's line on controversial issues!

The poor state of Punjab's finances and economy often leads to the Akali leadership's spats with the Congress-led UPA government. The main reason for the situation is the dithering attitude the Akali leadership often adopts in mobilizing additional resources and its penchant for doling out freebies to retain the loyalty of its rural vote bank. It was after three years of remaining in power that the government set up the two-member Sukhbir Sngh-Manoranjan Kalia Committee to suggest resource mobilization measures. The implementation of some of the half-way recommendations made by the committee have already evoked protests from the affected sections of the population besides triggering angry reactions from the coalition partner whose urban vote bank will be hit by the measures.

Although the previous Congress governments had also contributed to the poor state of Punjab's finances, the present and the earlier Akali-BJP governments are mainly responsible for the situation. No doubt, Punjab deserves larger central assistance to compensate it for the setback its finances and economy suffered for fighting the country's battle against separatist- terrorism. This, however, does not mean that the present government should not itself efficiently manage the economy and its finances. Instead of taking remedial measures to pull the state out of the acute financial morass, the ruling leaders have been rushing to the Centre with a begging bowl at the cost of the state's often applauded pride.

Punjab's Akali-BJP leadership will have to take two steps if it wants the state to again acquire the coveted status of one of India's most advanced states. It will have to mobilize additional resources that, however, should not deeply hurt the less privileged sections of the society. Secondly, the Akali leaders will have to come out of their parochial mindset. Parochial attitudes often deprive the states of some of the advantages that accrue to them from being partners in the centralised control of natural resources. (IPA Service)