Chief ministers' sub-group for cess on telecommunications, minerals

Petrol and telecom services, among others, may become more expensive if recommendations of the chief ministers' sub-group on the Swachh Bharat programme were implemented by the Centre.

Besides, those not having toilets at home may be barred from contesting elections. The Chandrababu Naidu-headed panel on Wednesday recommended a cess on telecom services, petrol, and minerals such as coal and iron ore, among others, to mobilise resources for implementing the central government's programme.

"The government of India has to levy cess on telecom services, petrol, diesel, iron ore and mineral wealth such as coal, to pool funds for achieving a Swachh Bharat in five years," the convener of the group and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu told reporters after a meeting of the panel. In the Budget for 2015-16, finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced an enabling provision to levy a Swachh Bharat cess at two per cent or less on all or certain services, if the need arises. However, the services to draw this cess are yet to be announced.

Now, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog would prepare a report from these recommendations. The Haryana government has already made the construction of toilets in their homes a mandatory condition for the candidates of the Panchayati Raj Institute. The Naidu-headed panel also favoured viability gap funding, tax exemptions, and separate rates for waste-to-energy and compost projects.

It has also asked for a construction aid of Rs 15,000 per toilet. Naidu said the panel also recommended that the financial burden for implementing the programme should be shared in the ratio of 75:25 between the Centre and states, while this should be 90:10 for the Centre and hilly states.

It suggested performing states be allocated special funds to incentivise the scheme.

For proper treatment of solid and liquid waste, he said that the panel has suggested ways on how to go about solid and liquid waste management. "We have recommended that Centre should use public private partnership for promoting solid and liquid waste management projects and provide viability gap funding, particularly for waste-to-energy projects," Naidu said. He said that the panel also suggested tax exemptions (for VAT, excise, etc) and other regulatory support for waste management projects. Naidu hinted that the regulatory agencies will come up with different tariff for waste management projects. On the ways to promote use of toilets in the country, he said that the panel has recommended Rs 15,000 aid for constructing toilets and there would be detailed recommendation for community toilets. He further said that the group also recommended detailed suggestions on dealing with debris and construction and medical waste. The panel asked for organising annual festivals to create competition under Swachh Bharat Mission by conferring 'Swachh District and States' awards.