Shimla, March 19 Congress MLA Hardeep Singh Bawa demanded on Thursday that the recent increase in toll taxes in the border region be rationalized.
Raising the issue during the zero hour, Bawa said that the 142 per cent increase in toll tax for four-wheelers, and 78 per cent increase on trucks coming from outside the state, was unfair.
He said the matter was raised in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, and there are calls for a reciprocal tax on vehicles registered in Himachal Pradesh.
Bawa pointed out that cement is currently cheaper in the neighboring state of Punjab, prompting vehicles from Himachal to travel there to procure it, and therefore, the increased toll tax is unwarranted.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Rakesh Kalia termed the arrest of Anil Dadwal, a Congress leader from his constituency Gagret in Una, as unjust.
Dadwal was picked up by the Delhi police for a social media post, he said.
Kalia urged the state to intervene in this matter. He was seconded in the demand by Congress MLA Sudarshan Bablu.
Reportedly, Dadwal wrote a post against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He was booked by the Special Branch of the Delhi Police in February.
On the issue of diversion of Local Area development Fund (LADF), BJP MLA Janak Raj said that several power projects are currently operational in Bharmaur, his constituency in Chamba district, yet the funds are being deposited into government accounts.
He said a decision was taken to divert 40 per cent of these funds toward the state government's 'sukh-ashray' scheme and warned of an agitation if the funds were diverted.
Congress MLA from Lahaul and Spiti, Anuradha Rana, flagged the shortage of commercial gas cylinders in the tribal district.
She said that a waiting period of 25 days has been stipulated for gas cylinder refills in urban areas, while for rural areas the period is 45 days.
For tribal areas like Lahaul-Spiti, where firewood is hard to come by for fuel is illogical, she said.