Chandigarh, March 19 -- The Punjab government on Wednesday demanded royalty from neighbouring Rajasthan for water supplied for its irrigation and drinking needs, claiming a staggering outstanding amount of Rs.1.44 lakh crore. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced plans to recover unpaid water royalty dues from the Rajasthan government under a 1920 tripartite agreement, following which the neighbouring state began receiving water. He said Rajasthan gave royalty to Punjab for water till 1960, but it stopped thereafter. "The Rajasthan government owes this amount to Punjab for the water drawn through the Ferozepur feeder, for which not even a single paisa has been paid for the past more than six decades," he added. Refuting such claims, a senior Rajasthan official familiar with the development said the state is a partner in the project and has also contributed its share of the financial expenditure for building the irrigation system. The official added that the issue is already under consideration before an inter-state water dispute tribunal, questioning the basis of Punjab's demand. Reiterating the historical context, Mann said that under the agreement signed in September 1920 between the then Maharaja of Bikaner, the state of Bahawalpur (now in Pakistan), and the British government, Rajasthan had agreed to pay for water on a per-acre basis. He added that after the Indus Water Treaty, Rajasthan stopped paying despite continuing to draw 18,000 cusecs of water. "If we calculate dues from 1960 to 2026, Rajasthan owes Punjab Rs.1.44 lakh crore. They want our water but are not willing to pay our dues," he said. Mann said the state government raised this issue with both the Centre and the BJP-ruled Rajasthan government. "It is surprising that states demanding water through the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal remain silent on this massive pending payment. We have written to the Rajasthan government for a meeting to discuss this issue," he said. The CM asserted that Punjab would pursue the matter firmly, stating that either they stop drawing water from Punjab or they must clear the dues. Mann, who claimed a turnaround in Punjab's irrigation system in the last four years, said that his government ensured water supply to fields equivalent to the Bhakra canal by unlocking 10,000 cusecs from seasonal rivers and reviving a collapsing canal network. He said canal irrigation coverage has surged from just 26.50% in 2022 to 78% at present, with long-defunct systems like the 22-km Sarhali canal brought back to life, round-the-clock water supply ensured through the Ferozepur-Sirhind feeder, and canal water reaching 1,446 villages. Presenting a comprehensive account of the state government's work in the irrigation sector, he said that the highest-ever spending of Rs.6,700 crore was made on canal lining, repair, modernisation and strengthening of infrastructure in the last four years. The CM said the government spent around Rs.2,000 crore to construct and restore nearly 13,000 km of canals, due to which canal water was now reaching 58 lakh acres of land. He added that a total of 15,539 canals were cleaned and 18,349 watercourses revived, ensuring that even tail-end agricultural fields received canal water. On strengthening major canal systems, he said the Ferozepur Feeder Canal, originally constructed in 1952, was upgraded in a record 35 days, increasing its capacity by 2,682 cusecs. Similarly, the Sirhind Canal, considered the lifeline of Malwa and built around 1950, had also been upgraded, increasing its capacity by 2,844 cusecs. On groundwater conservation, Mann said the government's efforts were aimed at increasing utilisation of surface water and reducing stress on groundwater resources. Cabinet minister Barinder Goyal was also present. Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney welcomed the Punjab government's demand seeking Rs.1.44 lakh crore in pending water dues from Rajasthan. Sahney stated that he was the first to raise this critical issue in Parliament during the winter session of 2025 and reiterated it last month during the current budget session, highlighting that over Rs.1 lakh crore was owed to Punjab for river water usage....