Punjab levies water cess on farmers

Punjab government today decided to levy water cess on farmers for cleaning of minors and distributaries in the state, a move which is expected to yield Rs 100 crore.
In a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today, the state government approved to levy water cess at a rate of Rs 50 per acre per crop for the proper maintenance and cleaning of the minors and distributaries.
"The Cabinet also approved to levy water cess of Rs 50 per acre per crop instead of 'Abiana' (charges) by amending the Indian Canal & Drainage Act, 1873," an official release said.

"This decision is taken for maintenance and cleaning of minors and distributaries which will ensure proper flow of water reaches faming fields. It is expected to mobilize a sum of Rs 100 crore for this purpose," Punjab Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said here today.
The Cabinet also decided to abolish the 'Abiana' charged from farmers at a rate of Rs 150 per acre per crop.
The cabinet also decided that a master plan of the irrigation network be prepared for providing required water to farmers through a robust canal system.

"It was also decided to set up water users committees at XEN level. This Committee under the respective XEN would collect the cleaning cess and also ensure its use for cleaning minors and distributaries in the jurisdiction of respective committees," said the release.

The Cabinet also decided that an amount equal to the cleaning cess collected in the state would be contributed by the state government which would be used for rejuvenating and cleaning the canal network in the state.
The users of canal water would oversee the utilisation of this cess. The cleaning cess would be levied on only those farmers who used canal water, it said.
In another decision, the Cabinet also decided to merge 13,034 sanctioned posts of Elementary Trained Teachers (ETT) teachers in the 5,772 schools run by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department in the state Education department.

Likewise, the Cabinet also approved the merger of 583 posts of Rural Veterinary Officers working in 582 Civil Veterinary Hospitals managed and run by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department in the Animal Husbandry.