Himachal Pradesh Imposes Toilet Seat Tax: A New Financial Burden on Urban Residents

In a recent move that has sparked controversy, the government of Himachal Pradesh has announced a new tax policy where residents in urban areas will be charged a fee of Rs 25 per toilet seat built in their houses. This decision, aimed at addressing the state's financial crisis, has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition BJP and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The notification, issued by the Jal Shakti Department, states that the fee will be collected along with the sewerage bill, which is set to be 30 percent of the water bill. This means that individuals using water from their own source but connecting to the government's sewerage system will have to pay this additional charge every month.

The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government, facing a crippling financial crisis, has been grappling with ways to generate revenue. The decision to impose this tax is part of their efforts to ensure 100 percent connectivity and reduce pollution by ensuring proper treatment of sewerage.

However, the move has been met with strong opposition from the BJP and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Sitharaman took to social media to express her disbelief, calling it 'unbelievable' if true. She also criticized the Congress government for taxing people for toilets while Prime Minister Modi's Swachhata Abhiyan aims to improve sanitation as a people's movement.

The BJP has also questioned the legitimacy of the notification, with the Haryana water department clarifying that it has not issued any such notification. The Jal Shakti Department has maintained that their aim is to achieve 100 percent connectivity and ensure proper treatment of sewerage.

Himachal Pradesh, with its five municipal corporations, 29 municipalities, and 17 Nagar Panchayats, housing around 10 lakh people, is expected to be significantly affected by this new policy. The imposition of this tax on multiple toilet seats in urban homes is likely to increase the financial burden on residents.

The state government's decision to issue water bills of Rs 100 per connection every month has already started from October. This new development adds another layer of financial responsibility for urban residents in Himachal Pradesh.

Related News Items:

For more information on this topic, visit Zee News for their coverage on 'Have More Than One Toilet In Your Home? Now, You Will Have To Pay More Tax In This State'.

For detailed insights into how many toilet seats you have and how you will be taxed accordingly, refer to News18 for their article 'How Many Toilet Seats Do You Have? Himachal Govt Will Tax You Accordingly'.

To understand the BJP's ire over the Rs 25 tax per toilet seat by the Himachal Congress government, read Deccan Herald's coverage on 'Rs 25 tax per toilet seat by Himachal Congress government draws BJP ire'.

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