Himachal to earn 4000 Cr from cess on hydro power projects
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu making intervention on the discussion during Water Cess bill said that BJP member who are trying to see shortcomings in the legislation should have follow the footsteps of their senior leader. He said that he wants to inform the house that Shanta Kumar who have farsighted vision on the issue and have been advocating the issue also hailed the efforts of Congress rule in the state to levy Cess on the power project. He said that members must not be confused by stating that it would implement from prospective or retrospective but every bill implement prospective. He said that cess is being levied on the generation on all power plant set up earlier or coming up in the future. Randhir Sharma of BJP demanded that power project less than 5 mw should be exempted from the preview of cess. He said that Goverment should not followed BJP state blindly while levying the tax. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that members should understand that legislation was brought for replacing the ordinance and Goverment have already drafted the rule and regulation on the line of BJP state Uttrakhand. Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that opposition is favouring Corporate by opposing the cess in house for power companies which are exploiting water resources for power generation. He said that BJP should have followed the Utrakhand for levying water cess however it is criticising thud government for burdening the common man. Mr Sukhu said that no water Cess was levied on the common man.
In order to strengthen the state’s economy, the bill to collect water cess from power projects was unanimously passed in the assembly. The government is earning Rs 4000 crore annually by deciding to collect water cess from the hydro power project. Government had already promulgated an ordinance and notified that cess . In the budget session, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri introduced an ordinance regarding cess recovery. It has been approved after discussion today. Before approving the bill, Chief Minister Sukhu said that it would not put any financial burden on the people. A separate commission would also be formed for this. A chairman and four members would be nominated in this. An officer of the rank of Secretary would be appointed as the Chairman of the Commission. Private Member Day today, discussion on four resolutions. Today is Private Member Day. In this, resolutions of four members would be placed in the House for discussion. The first resolution has been brought by Congress MLA from Ghumarwin, Rajesh Dharmani. In this, he has brought a resolution to make a policy to regularize roads and buildings made without FCA-FRA outright. The second resolution is of BJP MLA Vipin Singh Parmar. Parmar would demand a policy to increase Himachal’s share in the power project and avoid financial loss to the state due to non-compliance of the dividend agreement. Demand to make a policy to save crops from stray animals. The third resolution is of Paonta Sahib’s BJP MLA Sukhram Chowdhary. In this, he demand a policy in the House regarding the damage caused to crops by stray animals. The fourth resolution is of Jhanduta BJP MLA JR Katwal, in which he will demand a policy to strengthen social and economic security and remove disparities under the identified constitutional provisions enshrined in the Indian democracy and welfare state.
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu stated that BJP members mostly appreciative the Congress move to levy water cess on power project as BJP former chief minister Shanta Kumar also hailed the step of state government to follow the move.
Opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur said that Goverment did not applied brain to draft bill and it has copied the rule from Uttarakhand draft of similar legislation. It show where Congress minister are burning midnight lamp to draft it
