Expert panel to frame umbrella Act for all water-related laws, says CM
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today directed officials concerned to make an umbrella Act combining all water-related laws. An expert committee would be formed for the purpose, he added.
Sukhu, who chaired a high-powered committee meeting here, said that the state government would protect the interests of the people of Himachal Pradesh at all cost. He added that the state’s resources would be utilised properly and ongoing court cases would be pursued seriously.
As several water-related issues, including the imposition of a water cess on hydropower generation, are stuck in legal wrangles, the state government is keen that the opinion of legal and other experts is taken so that a legislation concerning all water-related issues can be framed. The Himachal Government had hoped to generate an additional revenue of up to Rs 1,000 crore from the water cess, which was under litigation as many power producers had challenged it in court.
The Chief Minister acknowledged the challenges posed by global warming and climate change and reiterated the need for studies on increasing incidents of cloudburst and flooding, leading to devastation.
Sukhu reiterated his government’s efforts to improve the financial condition of the state. “Fiscal reforms have enabled the government to release 4 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees and pensioners. This follows a 7 per cent DA given earlier while the previous BJP government had neglected the interests of the state, leading to investment drain,” he claimed.
Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Advocate General Anup Rattan, Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Chief Minister’s Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Water Cess Commission Amitabh Awasthi, Law Secretary Sharad Kumar Lagwal and other senior officials attended the meeting.
