‘Toilet tax’ row in Himachal Pradesh: What is it and what does CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu say?

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday denied claims of any “Toilet Tax” being imposed or proposed in the state. He called the claims as baseless and said they were being spread for political purposes.

"In the light of Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections, the BJP is either playing the religion card or sometimes raising the fabricated toilet tax issue. No one should attempt to politicise issues purely for political gains, especially when the allegations are far from reality," Sukhu told reporters in New Delhi, as reported by news agency ANI.

What is the 'toilet tax' row?

On 21 September this year, Himachal Pradesh issued a circular proposing a ₹25 charge per toilet seat for commercial establishments and hotels, causing an uproar in the state. It was, however, taken back the same day.

Onkar Chand Sharma, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Jal Shakti Department, Himachal Pradesh, has clarified that the information circulating regarding this fee is incorrect.

He explained that in all urban areas, 30 per cent of water supply bills are levied as sewerage charges, and this has been standard practice. However, some confusion arose regarding commercial units, leading to a notification being issued.

The notification was withdrawn after objections from the Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the Minister of Water Power.

"The Himachal Pradesh government incurs significant costs, about ₹700 to ₹800 crore, in energy charges to supply water. Sewerage charges are part of water supply connections, and in urban areas, 30 per cent of the water bill covers these sewerage charges," according to Sharma.

"A flat rate is already in place where ₹100 is charged per connection. In some instances, commercial units were found to be obtaining independent water connections while using government-provided sewerage connections. This led to the proposal of the ₹25 charge per toilet seat, which was swiftly revoked on the same day."

He also clarified that sewerage connections will continue to be provided as per the existing system, with the department's goal being to achieve 100 percent connectivity for improved pollution control and proper treatment of sewage.

The recent notification only addressed water charges, with no changes made to the existing sewerage policies.

Earlier in the day, Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti department clarified that there is no tax imposed on commercial toilet seats in the state.

CM Sukhu says step to rationalise water subsidy

According to CM Sukhu, before the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections, the previous BJP government had introduced free schemes worth ₹5,000 crore, including provisions for free water, in an attempt to win electoral success.

He said that despite these efforts, the people voted in favour of the Congress Party, leading to its victory in the state.

In light of this, the current government has decided to rationalise the water subsidy and impose minimal charges of ₹100 per connection per month in rural areas.

He noted that families who can afford to pay their water bills should do so for the state's benefit.