Toilet Tax: After Roll Back, Defiant Sukhu Asks Who Coined The Term? Exclusive

Himachal Toilet Tax: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday denied any roll back over the state government's new ‘toilet tax’ asking who coined this term. A row erupted after BJP claimed that Sukhu's government is imposing a ‘toilet tax’ on the people adding such a government has no right to stay in power.   

Chief Minister Sukhu while speaking to Republic TV said they haven't imposed any such tax so there is no question of taking it back. He further asked who coined the term ‘toilet tax’ and blamed the BJP for this. 

Sukhu said that every state government collects some sort of charge in terms of water bill asking what's the issue over this.    

BJP 's toilet tax charge on Himachal govt

Addressing an event in Bilaspur today, BJP national president and Union health Minister JP Nadda said the Sukhu government's intellect and wisdom have become "corrupt" as tax on toilets has been imposed and such a government has no right to stay in power.

BJP 's conspiracy ahead of Haryana elections, says Sukhu 

In a statement issued, Sukhu said, "In the light of Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP is either playing the religion card or sometimes raising the fabricated toilet tax issue.” “No one should attempt to politicise issues purely for political gains, especially when the allegations are far from reality," he said.

Sukhu said prior to the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP government, in an attempt to woo the voters, announced several schemes including free water and opened institutions on political criteria.

Despite these measures, the people of the state voted in favour 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 rationalise the water subsidy and decided to impose minimal monthly charges of Rs 100 per in the rural areas.

What is Himachal Govt's Rs 25 tax per sewerage seat?

On September 21, the state Jal Shakti department issued a notification regarding the imposition of Rs 25 tax per sewerage seat in urban areas besides 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 However, when the notification was sent to Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, the notification was withdrawn.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 post on social media, said it was the BJP government which imposed sewerage tax in 2018.

The government already charges 30 per cent tax of the total water bill as sewerage charges.

Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Sharma said, "It was brought to the notice that some hotels and institutions were using their own water but sewerage of government and it was decided to charge Rs 25 per seat from them but when the notification was sent to Dy CM Agnihotri for vetting, sewerage charges were withdrawn in the subsequent notification", he added.

With inputs from PTI