The opposition BJP on Tuesday staged a protest outside the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly ahead of the day’s proceedings, seeking an immediate rollback of the revised entry tax imposed on vehicles coming from other states into Himachal Pradesh.
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur said the toll tax hike has created resentment and tension between people of Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Punjab. He added that protests have intensified, especially in border districts affected by the decision.
He warned that if the state government fails to withdraw the enhanced toll tax without delay, vehicles registered in Himachal Pradesh may face obstruction at Punjab border entry points, causing inconvenience to the public and potentially disturbing law and order.
Thakur accused the Chief Minister of taking “arbitrary” decisions without assessing their wider impact on interstate relations and public sentiment.
Raising the issue in the Assembly through a point of order, BJP MLA Randhir Sharma said the law and order situation could worsen from Wednesday once the revised entry tax rates come into force at midnight on Tuesday.
He claimed that protests have already begun in Punjab against the increased tax and alleged that groups there have threatened to stop Himachal-registered vehicles from entering Punjab from April 1.
Sharma further said that although the Chief Minister had assured the House on Monday that the matter would be examined, no concrete steps had yet been taken to defuse the growing tension.
Responding to the concerns, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he would speak with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Singh Mann to resolve the issue through dialogue.
Sukhu maintained that the government had received no official reports of unrest in border areas over the entry tax. He clarified that the tax revision applies mainly to larger vehicles and added that the government is considering rationalising the rates.
Also read: Himachal entry tax: Haryana residents protest at Barotiwala
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