In a rather absurd turn of events, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh issued a notification stating that a “toilet seat tax” would be levied on the residents of urban areas. Soon after, the BJP joined by netizens criticised the Congress government over its desperate and bizarre toilet seat tax. While a face-saving move from the Congress government and CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was expected, the Himachal Pradesh government resorted to blatantly lying about their own notification.
Sharing a news report about Rs 25 toilet seat tax being levied on the residents of urban areas, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: ‘Unbelievable, if true! Whilst PM Modi ji, builds Swachhata as a people’s movement, here is Congress taxing people for toilets! Shame that they didn’t provide good sanitation during their time, but this step will shame the country.”
Unbelievable, if true!
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) October 4, 2024
Whilst PM @narendramodi ji, builds Swachhata as a people’s movement, here is @INCIndia taxing people for toilets! Shame that they didn’t provide good sanitation during their time, but this step will shame the country! https://t.co/EPTmOmyufM
As outrage erupted over the controversial tax notification, the Himachal Pradesh government issued a press statement ‘refuting’ the media reports which said that sewerage connections will be given based on the number of seats installed by the building owner. The Congress government ‘clarified’ that “no such notification has been issued by the present government. Sewerage connections will continue to be provided as before. Our aim is to achieve 100 percent connectivity so as to reduce pollution and ensure proper treatment of sewerage.”
The press statement further claims that the recent notification in question has been issued “only regarding water charges, while all other things will remain unchanged.”
Meanwhile, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said: “We are charging only Rs 100 per water connection…there is no such thing as a toilet tax in Himachal,” Sukhu told reporters. “This is far from facts. Since there are elections in Haryana, they (BJP) talk about Hindu-Muslim and sewerage but there is nothing like that. It is completely false.”
Did the Congress government impose a toilet seat tax in Himachal Pradesh?
While the Congress government has outrightly denied levying toilet seat tax, its own notification exposes their lies. In a notification dated 21-09-2024 and signed by Raksha Sharma, the deputy secretary (Jal Shakti) to the government of Himachal Pradesh, it is clearly mentioned that in urban areas where residents use their own water sources and the sewerage system of the Jal Shakti department, a tax of Rs 25 per seat per month would be levied.
“Where in urban areas, some establishments use their own water sources and the sewerage system of the department, sewerage charges be levied @ Rs. 25/-per seat per month,” the Jal Shakti Department’s notification reads.
Thus, it is evident that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is lying about its own notification in a desperate attempt to escape embarrassment and criticism. While taking a U-turn or backtracking on a decision taken after outrage is not new, by denying their own notification, the Congress party is setting a wrong precedent in Himachal Pradesh.
Notably, Himachal Pradesh has been grappling with a financial crisis compelling the government to take desperate measures. Last month, it was reported that the Congress government introduced a milk cess and an environment cess on consumers. In addition, the state government legalised cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes citing its potential as an economic asset. In July, the Congress government decided to discontinue the free electricity scheme for income-tax payers.
