On September 21, the Himachal Pradesh authorities handed an order imposing month-to-month sewage expenses for every rest room seat in city households however withdrew it hours later. Two weeks later, this has emerged as the most recent flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP within the hill state, with the latter concentrating on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu authorities for making an attempt to impose a “rest room tax”.
The Congress has responded by accusing the earlier BJP authorities led by Jairam Thakur of leaving the state in a monetary disaster.
What was the “rest room tax”?
The state authorities final month revised water expenses following Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla’s approval and a five-page notification was issued underneath the Himachal Pradesh Water Provide Act, 1968.
Aside from levying a Rs 100 month-to-month cost, the notification revised water tariffs for city shoppers. It proposed to cost city home shoppers in addition to authorities institutions Rs 200 monthly, Rs 500 monthly for business use, and Rs 2,500 every month for non-commercial and non-domestic institutions.
Of the six revisions, the third clause of the notification sparked a row. “The place, in city areas, some institutions use their very own water sources and the division’s sewage system, sewage expenses shall be levied at Rs 25 per seat monthly,” learn the notification.
Although the clause was revoked hours later, reportedly on the instructions of Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri who holds the Jal Shakti portfolio, the Opposition focused the Sukhu authorities for imposing a “rest room tax” on folks.
How a lot does water value in rural areas?
In March 2022, the Thakur authorities waived the Rs 34 per connection cost in rural areas. His authorities additionally offered 125 models of electrical energy freed from value.
After Sukhu assumed energy, he reintroduced month-to-month water expenses for rural shoppers at Rs 100 per connection whereas asserting that they might be exempt from metering. The state authorities aimed to generate Rs 200 crore from the charges.
“The water and sewage expenses improve by 10% yearly. Accordingly, the Rs 34 water cost will now be Rs 61. Earlier, there was no sewage system in rural areas however now, the Nationwide Financial institution for Agriculture and Rural Improvement (NABARD) has began constructing sewage initiatives and acceptable expenses ought to be levied on the shoppers. Going ahead, if a rural shopper makes use of the federal government’s sewage system, he/she should pay 30% of the Rs 100 water cost,” a secretary-level officer within the Jal Shakti Division instructed The Indian Categorical.
What does the BJP declare?
BJP nationwide president and Union Well being Minister J P Nadda on Friday stated at an occasion in Bilaspur that the Sukhu authorities was “100% corrupt and even taxed bathrooms”.
The identical day, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to X to focus on the Congress. “Unbelievable, if true! While PM Narendra Modi ji builds Swachhata as a folks’s motion, right here is the Congress taxing folks for bathrooms! Disgrace that they didn’t present good sanitation throughout their time, however this step will disgrace the nation!”
A state authorities official admitted that the clause was supposed to tax rest room seats. “There are various inns and business institutions in city areas which have their very own water sources however use the federal government’s sewage system. The intention was to cost Rs 25 (per rest room seat) from these entities,” stated the officer.
On Saturday, talking to reporters after the inauguration of a brand new BJP in Nahan, Thakur stated Sukhu is the one CM to impose tax on bathrooms. “In simply two years, the federal government has pushed the state again by 10 years. From the second he took cost, Sukhu has solely targeted on growing taxes. Whereas the Swachh Bharat Mission is ongoing throughout India, and the Centre is investing to advertise cleanliness and make the nation open-defecation free, the Congress authorities and its CM desires to gather Rs 25 each month for every rest room seat,” he stated.
How has the Congress responded?
Sukhu has accused the BJP of enjoying the faith card and elevating “fabricated points”. “The BJP is enjoying the faith card or elevating fabricated points like this so-called rest room tax. These are unfounded allegations geared toward deceptive the general public,” he stated amid criticism from the Opposition celebration.
The CM additionally accused the Thakur authorities of introducing a number of sops price Rs 5,000 crore, together with free water, to win the 2022 elections. “Regardless of these measures, the Congress was voted to energy. The free water provision was even prolonged to five-star inns, and the present authorities has since rationalised water subsidies, introducing a nominal Rs 100 cost monthly in rural areas,” he stated.
What else has the Sukhu authorities reversed?
Aside from the sewage cost, the Himachal authorities has additionally rolled again the earlier administration’s choice to supply 125 free models of electrical energy in rural areas, whereas permitting 300 free models for Under the Poverty Line (BPL) households. Nonetheless, the choice, introduced in July, has not but been carried out.
In March, the Himachal Pradesh Excessive Court docket quashed the federal government’s choice to gather water cess from hydroelectric crops within the state.
A Division of Finance official stated offering freebies wouldn’t be attainable within the state. “Some schemes are funded by the Asian Improvement Financial institution (ADB) and different worldwide organisations with the situation that a certain quantity must be recovered from shoppers. Many schemes associated to water provide and sewage fall on this class,” the officer stated.
