Chandigarh, March 31 Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring thanked Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday for reversing the increase in the entry tax on vehicles entering the hill state.
Warring spoke with Sukhu over the phone to express his gratitude and later posted on X.
"I express my profound gratitude to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Sukhvider Sukhu, for agreeing to revert the entry tax for outside vehicles, including those from Punjab, to the previous rate," he said in his post.
With the increase removed, those living within a five-km radius of the state border will get free entry to Himachal Pradesh, Warring said.
He said that Sukhu told him that passes could be issued by sub-divisional magistrates or tehsildars in the two states for all those living within the five-km belt.
Sukhu rolled back the increase in the entry tax on five-seater and 6-12 seater passenger vehicles on Tuesday, following protests on the state border.
He told the Vidhan Sabha that confusion was being deliberately spread over the issue, even though the increase was nominal for most categories, and announced passes to people residing within a five-kilometre radius of the entry points.
Earlier, the toll tax for light motor vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and vans, was increased from Rs 70 to Rs 170.
The increase caused resentment among frequent commuters to the hill state and residents of villages in Punjab close to the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border.
In the wake of the hike, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the state government would consider imposing a counter-entry tax on vehicles registered in Himachal Pradesh.
Cheema then slammed the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government for an "exorbitant" increase in the entry tax. He asserted that the Sukhu government did so as it was on the verge of being "bankrupt".
Rupnagar MLA Dinesh Chadha demanded that the Punjab government impose reciprocal entry tax on Himachal Pradesh.