Shimla, April 2 The 16-day Budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly came to a close on Thursday, with expenses incurred for state guests, entry tax for out-of-state vehicles, and training schemes for artisans dominating the Question Hour during the final sitting, officials said.
In a written reply to a question raised by MLA Lokendra Kumar, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said a total of 426 people were declared "state guests" between January 1, 2023, and January 31, 2026. Among these, 143 were granted this status in 2023, 127 in 2024, 149 in 2025, and seven in January 2026, he said.
A total of Rs 6.5 crore was spent on these guests – Rs 4.6 crore on accommodation and Rs 1.65 crore on transportation facilities, Sukhu said.
To a question on taxes for vehicles entering border states, by MLA Vivek Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said vehicles from Himachal entering Punjab are subject to higher taxes compared to buses from Punjab entering Himachal, which incur lower taxes.
Comparing the taxation regimes of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, tax rates are determined by the respective state governments, taking into account their specific policies, road infrastructure maintenance requirements, geographical conditions, and revenue needs, Agnihotri said in a written reply.
Since taxation methodologies and rates vary across states, a direct comparison is not always feasible; therefore, differences in the two states' tax structures are natural, he informed the House.
He added that there is currently no specific proposal under government consideration regarding the formulation of a new policy on this subject.
In a written reply to another question, it was also informed that six new courses were introduced across 17 different Government Industrial Training Institutes in the state. These include technician (smart city), mechanic electric vehicle, fibre to home technician, technician mechatronics, solar technician (electrical) and maintenance mechanic (chemical plant).