Breaking News Himachal Pradesh will not be able to take water cess from Punjab Haryana. The Central Government has stayed the decision of water cess of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh has been warned by issuing a letter from the Center that if it does so, all the grants given by the Center will be stopped. Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal V Umashankar has confirmed the Centre’s decision.
In the letter sent by the Center to Himachal Pradesh, it is written that ‘you cannot violate any interstate agreement’. Also, no water cess can be imposed, if this is done by the state, then the central government will stop all the grants given by the center. However, so far no statement has been issued by Himachal Pradesh regarding the letter of the Center.
Himachal implemented to increase revenue
The Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government of Himachal Pradesh, which is facing financial crisis, has implemented water cess on hydroelectric power generation to increase revenue. To raise revenue on the lines of neighboring Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, the state government has decided to impose water cess on electricity generation. Water cess on about 175 small and big hydroelectric projects in the state will deposit about Rs 700 crore in the state exchequer every year.
Punjab Haryana has opposed the tax cess
Both the states of Punjab and Haryana have opposed this water cess of Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Ministers of both the states have also moved resolutions against it during the budget session in the Vidhansabha. CM Manohar Lal has also talked to the central government regarding this. Also met the Union Minister to intervene in this whole matter. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had also expressed his opposition to the Centre.
Himachal CM Sukhu meeting with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Amidst the Centre’s decision, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will meet Himachal CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. The time and place of the meeting has not been fixed. However, only after the meeting of these two Chief Ministers, the curtain will be lifted from this whole matter.
