Shimla, March 30 Hundreds of people from Haryana staged a protest on Monday against the Himachal Pradesh government for increasing the entry tax to the state, demanding the waiver of toll tax within a 5 km radius from the border.
The protesters, in the Solan district's Barotiwala, were led by local panchayat representatives and local leaders who raised slogans against the state government over their move.
During the protest, they reportedly made the entry toll-free for some time. Following this, the Haryana and Himachal Pradesh police reached the scene to control the situation.
The protesters said they have strong social and familial ties with Himachal Pradesh and frequently travel to various religious places such as Haripur and Baba Balak Nath.
They said that the increase in the tax will put an additional financial burden on the people, especially those living near the border areas.
The protesters warned that they would intensify their movement if the government did not fulfill their demand and would also block the road. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the state government regarding their demand through the Baddi Tehsildar.
Meanwhile, Baddi Tehsildar Jitender Thakur assured the people that their demand will be presented to the government.