Himachal CM: Revenue Deficit Grant Not Dole, Centre's Support Not Favor

Shimla, Oct 7 (PTI) The revenue deficit grant and share in taxes are the rights of the state and not doles, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday while asserting that the Union government is not doing any favour by releasing these funds to Himachal Pradesh.

Sukhu was responding to a statement by Union Health Minister J P Nadda that Congress cannot run the Himachal Pradesh government without the Centre's support even for a day.

The chief minister said that the Union minister who is also the BJP national president should be aware that "we are in a federal system".

Addressing reporters here, Sukhu said that these statements do not suit the Union Minister. "From where the Centre gets its taxes? … Centre gets taxes from the state and the funds given to the state is our right and not doles," he said.

Without naming anyone, Sukhu said that the people who have become advisors of Nadda were earlier in the Congress party and asked the Union minister to stay away from such advice.

Referring to raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate in Nadaun- the home constituency of Sukhu, the chief minister said that ever since the Congress won the Assembly by-polls and its tally again rose to 40 members in Vidhan Sabha, the BJP leaders are levelling personal allegations.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) department sleuths had conducted raids on the establishments and houses of some businessmen and contractors on June 29 and July 4 in Himachal's Hamirpur and Kangra districts. The investigation agencies collected documents after conducting raids at jewellery shops, petrol pumps and crushers.

Addressing a programme organised by the state unit of BJP in Bilaspur, Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday had alleged that the Congress cannot run the Himachal Pradesh government without the Centre's support even for a day.

Nadda had said that every month the Centre gives Rs 500 crore as revenue deficit grant and Rs 800 crore for other grants which are used for payment of salaries and pensions.

He also claimed that Sukhu speaks in "two languages".

"In Himachal Pradesh and during elections, he says the state gets nothing from the Centre, while in Delhi, he expresses gratitude for the financial help and pleads for more."

"Congress cannot run the government in Himachal Pradesh even for one day without the help of the Centre but the state government has no account of where the money is being spent," he said and added that the help given by the central government is not reaching the people.

The Sukhu government's "intellect and wisdom" are also "corrupt" as toilets are being taxed and such a government has no right to stay in power, the minister had said.

Referring to the "toilet tax", Sukhu said "show me one person in the 75 lakh population of the state who has been asked to pay the toilet tax. The union minister was making a false statement in view of the Haryana assembly polls, the chief minister asserted.

So far, neither electricity subsidy has been stopped nor water bills have been charged, he said and added that the state government has reduced the subsidy for 1,000 five-star hotels earning a profit between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 10 crore, he said.

On September 21, the state Jal Shakti department issued a notification regarding the imposition of Rs 25 tax per sewerage seat in urban areas.

Besides this, a tax of Rs 100 was imposed on water in rural areas. However, the notification was withdrawn after it was sent to Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.

Agnihotri, in a post on social media, said it was the BJP government which imposed a sewerage tax in 2018. The government already charges 30 per cent tax of the total water bill as sewerage charges, he had added.