Opposition to water cess shows Centre anti-Himachal: Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 28

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today alleged that the Central Government was anti-Himachal, as it was opposing water cess imposed by the state government while it had taken no action against Uttarakhand where the cess was imposed four years ago.

Anurag should support state: Agnihotri

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, rather than supporting the imposition of water cess to generate revenue, is opposing it. This shows that he, too, is anti-Himachal. Instead of toeing the line of the Central Government, Anurag should have pleaded Himachal’s case. Mukesh Agnihotri, Deputy Chief Minister

Agnihotri said that the decision of the Central Government to term the water cess as illegal was taken in haste. He accused the Central Government of instigating power producers to challenge the imposition of cess.

He said, “The discriminatory approach of the Central Government towards Congress-ruled states is evident from the manner in which it is opposing the water cess, which was imposed after duly passing a Bill in the Himachal Assembly.”

He added, “Did the Centre write to Uttarakhand or Jammu and Kashmir when these states imposed a similar water cess or it has made an exception in case of Himachal simply because the Congress is in power here.”

Agnihotri said, “Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, rather than supporting the imposition of water cess to generate revenue, is opposing it. This shows that he, too, is anti-Himachal. Instead of toeing the line of the Central Government, Anurag should have pleaded Himachal’s case, as there are very limited avenues of resource generation and we are making efforts to increase revenue.”

He said, “It is courts that are competent to examine the legal validity of water cess and not the Department of Energy.” He added that the state government was well within its right to “impose the cess as water is a state subject”.

The Deputy Chief Minister said, “Himachal is under a debt burden of Rs 75,000 crore and there is dire need to generate additional resources of revenue. We will fight for the rights of the state and under no circumstances we will buckle under the pressure of the Central Government.”

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