Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh government has appointed Amitabh Awasthi as the Chairman of the Water Cess Commission. The selection follows thorough scrutiny by a search committee chaired by Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena. Alongside Awasthi’s appointment, the commission gets three members HM Dhureta, Arun Sharma and Joginder Singh. A formal notification issued by the Jal Shakti Department confirms their appointments and outlines the commission’s mandate.
Amitabh Awasthi, the current Secretary of Jal Shakti Department, is slated to assume the position of Chairman of the Water Cess Commission, pending his superannuation on July 31.
The Water Cess Commission’s primary responsibility will involve hearing appeals related to water cess in the state. Operating under the ambit of the Water Cess Act-2023, the commission will focus on the regulation of water resources concerning hydropower generation.
To facilitate the commission’s functioning, the Himachal Pradesh government has already issued a notification specifying the Salary, allowances and other conditions of service for the Chairman and Members, as per the Himachal Pradesh Hydroelectricity Generation Water Cess State Commission Chairman and Members Rules-2023.
As per the official notification, the Chairman will receive a fixed basic pay alongside dearness allowance, amounting to Rs. 1,35,000 per month. Simultaneously, the members will be entitled to a fixed basic pay of Rs. 1,20,000, in addition to dearness allowance.
