 Summary of this article
- Punjab says it will consider levying a reciprocal entry tax on Himachal vehicles entering state
- Issue figures in Punjab assembly, Ropar MLA shares the public concerns
- Himachal's decision to increase revenue from toll fee has also met with opposition from hoteliers and business community
There is fresh trouble brewing along the shared interstate borders of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, not over territorial claims or water disputes this time, but over the imposition of an entry fee on vehicles that are not registered in the hill state.
The trigger is the decision by the Himachal Pradesh cabinet to raise entry fees at all toll barriers for vehicles not registered in the state. The private vehicles, specifically light motor vehicles and cars, will see an increase from Rs 70 to Rs 170, effective April 1, 2026.
The measure, though, aimed at resource mobilisation, under the HP Tolls Act of 1975, after the state landed in the fiscal crisis over the centre’s decision to stop the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), but has sparked major protests from the neighbouring state and the people travelling, almost daily, for their jobs and livelihoods. |
