The News Freedom
New Delhi/Chandigarh, November 7
Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday raised concerns over the imposition of water cess on electricity by some states, despite it being declared illegal by the Central government. He asserted that states like Punjab were compelled to purchase electricity at inflated rates due to this unjustified act.
On the closing day of the Conference of Power and New and Renewable Energy Ministers held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, Minister Harbhajan Singh, highlighted that the Union Power Ministry had repeatedly informed states that imposing a water cess on electricity was illegal. However, some states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Jammu and Kashmir, continued to levy this tax, leaving Punjab with no alternative but to pay exorbitant rates for electricity purchased from these states.
Harbhajan Singh appealed for stringent action by the Central government against these unlawful practices, seeking relief for states burdened by high electricity procurement costs. Supporting the Punjab Cabinet Minister’s stance, Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy, R. K. Singh, affirmed that the Ministry had unequivocally declared this imposition of water cess as unconstitutional and assured to stop this practice. He also assured that the Union Power Ministry would provide legal support to the purchasing states in their efforts to challenge the imposition of the water cess.
Expressing gratitude for the support offered by the Union Power Minister, Harbhajan Singh also suggested to construct small balancing reservoirs on downstreams of major mams in India to provide water for irrigation as well as generating power in full capacity. Principal Secretary, PSPCL Tejveer Singh and CMD PSPCL Baldev Singh Sran were also present on the occasion.