SHIMLA: The water cess has become a political issue in Himachal Pradesh as the BJP is questioning the decision of Congress government while latter is questioning the intent of the former.
Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Thursday had questioned the water cess being imposed by Congress government by saying that change in policy would discourage investment in hydro power sector and whether the state government has read the treaty before imposing water cess.
In retaliation, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Friday said that Anurag Thakur should tell whether he was concerned about Himachal Pradesh or other states.
Mukesh Agnihotri said that statement of Anurag Thakur is against the interest of Himachal Pradesh and this also shows that Congress-ruled state is being targeted by the Centre.
He said that Anurag Thakur should tell the people of Himachal Pradesh what Centre has done so far against Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir on water cess issue.
He said that Himachal Pradesh is under a debt burden of Rs 75,000 crore and Congress government has taken the decision to impose water cess on water being used by hydro power projects for generation of electricity to increase the income of the state.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Anand Bodh is Senior Assistant Editor with The Times of India in ...
Read MoreAnand Bodh is Senior Assistant Editor with The Times of India in Shimla and has covered militancy in J&K and general news in Punjab and Chandigarh before moving to Himachal Pradesh. He loves the rugged mountains and glaciers, keeps track of development in these areas and occasionally highlights the unique culture and traditions beside politics and environmental issues of this hill state in his writing.
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