However, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, according to PTI, “In light of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP is playing the religion card or sometimes raising the issue of tax “No one should try to politicize issues purely for political gain, especially when the accusations are far from reality.”
Sukhu said that before the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP government, in a bid to woo voters, announced several schemes including free water and opening institutions on political lines.
Also read: Himachal Pradesh toilet seat tax sparks dispute even as CM denies passing such order
Despite these measures, people of the state voted in favor of the Congress Party, he said, adding that free water was also offered to five-star hotels.
The chief minister said taking note of this, the present government has taken steps to rationalize water subsidy and decided to impose minimum monthly charges of Rs 100 per person in rural areas.
Also read: Himachal Pradesh to develop new hotspot as tourist hub
On September 21, the state Jal Shakti department issued a notification on imposing a tax of Rs 25 per sewage seat in urban areas, in addition to this, a tax of Rs 100 was imposed on water in rural areas. However, when the notification was sent to Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, the notification was withdrawn.
Agnihotri, in a social media post, said that it was the BJP government that imposed sewage tax in 2018. The government already charges a tax of 30 per cent of the total water bill as sewage charges.
Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Sharma said, “It was reported that some hotels and institutions were using their own water but government sewage and it was decided to charge them Rs 25 per seat, but when the notification was sent to Dy CM Agnihotri for investigation , in the subsequent notification the sewage charges were withdrawn,” he added.
(Edited by: Jerome Antonio)
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