M A I N   N E W S

Water dearer, liquor cheaper
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 24
Drinking water tariff was increased steeply and liquor prices slashed in the finance-starved Himachal Pradesh by the Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal.

The multifold increase in drinking water tariff will be applicable in the state in urban and rural areas with effect from March 1.

The Cabinet also decided to withdraw attached vehicles of all officers of the rank of Financial Commissioners and below and also heads of departments, boards and corporations to effect economy.

The Excise Duty on country liquor has been reduced to Rs 8 per proof litre from the existing Rs 10 per proof litre.

Briefing newsmen about the Cabinet decisions, the Chief Secretary, Mr A.K. Goswami, said there would be a uniform water tariff of Rs 3 per kilolitre in urban areas against the slab rate of 20, 35 and 55 paise.

In the rural areas a water connection will cost Rs 20 per month against the rate of Rs 6 per first tap and Rs 4 subsequent tap in a household.

Water tariff for commercial connections has been increased to Rs 4 per kl from the existing Rs 1.35 per kl in urban areas. The rate of application form for domestic water connection in urban areas has been increased to Rs 10 from the existing Rs 2 and the security has been fixed at Rs 150 against the existing Rs 50. The connection charges have been fixed at Rs 150 against the slab ranging between Rs 20 to Rs 33.

The application fee for water connection in commercial sector in urban areas has been increased from the existing Rs 2 to Rs 50, security and connection charges have been hiked to Rs 300 each from the existing Rs 100 and Rs 20 to Rs 33, respectively.

Mr Goswami said the Shimla Municipal Corporation would fix the water tariff in its jurisdictions where the drinking water was being supplied at the rate of Rs 4 per kl at present. The Irrigation and Public Health Department was supplying water to the corporation at the rate of Rs 1.35 paise per kl against its own expenditure of Rs 16 on each kl. During 1998-99, the IPH Department spent Rs 12.78 crore for supplying drinking water in Shimla against which an amount of Rs 1.42 crore was realised as tariff at the existing rates.

He said against the total cost of Rs 131 crore on supplying drinking water in the state, the IPH Department was getting a revenue of only Rs 3.50 crore. The hike was expected to yield an additional revenue of Rs 1.50 crore only. Out of the yield of Rs 5 crore, the IPH would get Rs 2.50 crore and the respective panchayats would retain Rs 2.50 crore after collecting the tariff from the consumers.

The commercial establishments in the rural areas would have to pay a tariff of Rs 50 per connection per month. The gram panchayats would be free to impose a higher water tariff in their respective areas.

The water connection-related charges have substantially been increased in the rural areas. The application fee has been hiked to Rs 10 from the existing Rs 2, security to Rs 100 from the existing Rs 25 and connection charges to Rs 100 from the existing ranging between Rs 20 to Rs 33. For the commercial sector in rural areas, the application fee has been increased to Rs 50 from the existing Rs 2.

The Cabinet decided to transfer all 9000 handpumps in the state to the panchayats by August 31. These will be maintained by the respective panchayats.

Mr Goswami said that it had been decided to withdraw official vehicles of all officers starting from Financial Commissioners in the state headquarters.

They will be paid a monthly allowance ranging between Rs 1750 to Rs 4750 depending on pay scale for maintaining their private vehicles.

This will enable a saving of Rs 1 crore to the state government which was spending Rs 2.25 crore annually on the maintenance of a fleet of 225 vehicles in the secretariat and other director level offices.

A total sum of Rs 1.25 crore will be involved in payment of the allowance to officers. They will be entitled to a TA of Rs 4.50 per kilometer while travelling outside the state headquarters. The pool of vehicles in the secretariat will also be abolished.

He said that the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police would be among certain officers who will be allowed to use government vehicles.

Qualified drivers rendered jobless will be adjusted against class three posts and the scheme will come into force within 90 days.

The Cabinet approved the draft of the Bill for making maintenance of aged and infirm parents compulsory by their wards. The Bill will be introduced in the Assembly in the coming Budget session.

Some changes, including exclusion of Muslims from the purview of the law have been made in the Bill on the advice of the Union Home Ministry.

Excise on country liquor cut
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 24
The excise on country liquor, regular and cheap brands of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) has been cut in the new excise policy for Himachal Pradesh which was approved by the state Cabinet today.

Departmental stores will be free to obtain a beer licence at a nominal fee of Rs 15,000 per annum besides an assessed fee of Rs 8 per bottle.

In order to curb inter-state smuggling of liquor, pouches of 200 ml and below have been banned for sale of country liquor.

The Chief Secretary, Mr A.K. Goswami, said in view of the availability of much cheaper country liquor in the neighbouring states the excise on it had been reduced from Rs 10 per proof litre to Rs 8 per proof litre. This would help curbing smuggling from outside the state. This new excise policy was expected to fetch an additional revenue of Rs 220 crore.

The flat excise of Rs 27 per proof litre on IMFL has been rationalised in a graded system under which regular and cheap brands of up to Rs 500 per case of ex-factory price excluding duties will be charged an excise of Rs 24 per proof litre. Premium and superior brands ranging between Rs 501 to Rs 1000 per case have been levied an excise of Rs 32 per proof litre Deluxe and higher brands costing above Rs 1001 will be charged excise of Rs 60 per proof litre.

The ex-factory issue price of country liquor will be reduced by at least Rs 20 per case for all manufacturers, including the GIC.

The quota of country liquor has been fixed at 100 lakh proof litres. The discretionary quota available with the Excise and Taxation Commissioner has been reduced from 15 per cent to 5 per cent which will be released only in the last quarter of the year.

Tender system shall be introduced for auctioning the liquor shops to avoid pooling.

The export fee on IMFL, rectified spirit and country liquor has been slashed to 25 paise each and 10 paise, respectively.