Four States Sign Agreement to Settle Narmada Project Payment Dispute

A historic agreement was signed in New Delhi on July 7, 2026, settling long-pending payment disputes among the four Narmada Award beneficiary states — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil presided over the signing. Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra), Bhupendra Patel (Gujarat), Bhajan Lal Sharma (Rajasthan), and Dr. Mohan Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) all signed the agreement, with senior officials from the Centre and all four states present.

What was settled in the Narmada Project payment dispute?

The agreement resolves cost-sharing disputes tied to the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project, dues that had remained unresolved among the four states for decades. All pending payments have now been settled through a one-time settlement.

Amit Shah framed the agreement as another proof point of cooperative federalism at work under PM Modi's leadership. He linked it to a string of recent settlements, the Haryana-Rajasthan water dispute and the Kishau Dam Project issue, all resolved under C.R. Patil's stewardship of the Jal Shakti Ministry.