Residents of Himachal Pradesh will now be subject to a tax based on the number of toilet seats in their homes, as part of a new initiative by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government to address the state’s financial challenges.
A recent government notification outlines this new fee structure, which applies specifically to urban areas and aims to generate revenue through the Jal Shakti Department.
The Toilet Tax Notification
The notification, issued on September 20, states that households with sewerage connections will be required to pay Rs 25 per toilet seat per month. This charge will be added to the existing sewerage bill, which is calculated as 30 percent of the water bill. For those who use water from independent sources but rely on government sewerage systems, the Rs 25 per toilet seat fee will still apply. Divisional officers have been instructed to implement this new fee structure across the state.
Congress’ Khata Khat Model
Modi says build toilets
Congress says “tax toilets”Congress ka “Tax Toilet” Yojana
Now you have to pay even to 💩 under Congress Raj ! Kya Din dekhna pad raha hai 🫢 pic.twitter.com/UXfqPkxw9m
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) October 4, 2024
In a significant shift, the government has also started charging a fixed water bill of Rs 100 per month per connection, effective from October. This comes after the previous BJP government had promised free water if elected to power.
The announcement sparked controversy, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticizing the policy on social media platform ‘X’. She condemned the move, stating, “While PM Modi is building sanitation as a national priority, the Congress government is taxing citizens for basic facilities like toilets.”
Bawaal over toilet tax – bjp says denial of basic rights – congress CM @SukhuSukhvinder says no such toilet seat tax – pic.twitter.com/VUZoZM54q5
— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) October 4, 2024
Clarification:
In response, the Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti Department issued a clarification, asserting that no notification was released tying sewerage connections directly to the number of toilet seats.
The department explained that while a fee will be levied per seat, it was misinterpreted as a mandatory condition for securing sewerage connections. They reiterated that their primary goal is to achieve 100 percent sewerage connectivity across the state, and the policy regarding connections remains unchanged.
This clarification aims to address public confusion and reassure residents that the new tax is related only to additional services, not to the basic provision of sewerage infrastructure.
