Chandigarh, March 11 The Punjab government will consider the possibility of imposing an entry tax on vehicles registered in Himachal Pradesh, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema informed the state assembly on Wednesday.
Cheema also criticized the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government for making an "excessive" increase in the entry tax on vehicles from other states and asserted that the Sukvinder Singh Sukhu government did so because it was on the verge of being "bankrupt".
The minister was responding to a question by Rupnagar MLA Dinesh Chadha, who asked whether there was any proposal under consideration of the government to impose an entry tax on vehicles entering the state in the manner of Himachal Pradesh.
Cheema pointed out that under the "One Nation, One Tax" theory, no state can impose any tax on other states.
However, Cheema said that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh had raised the entry tax on vehicles from other states from Rs 70 to Rs 170 per vehicle, saying that most Punjabis travel to the neighboring state.
Pointing to the "dire" financial situation of the Himachal government, Cheema said today that the situation in the neighboring state is such that the Dearness Allowance for employees has been frozen, and new recruitments have been stopped.
He also claimed that a scheme of providing free electricity up to 200 units to the poor has also been stopped.
"Today, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is on the verge of bankruptcy. That is why they raised the entry tax," Cheema claimed.
The minister said he would urge the Minister of Local Bodies to study the relevant laws to see whether municipal councils located along the Punjab-HP border can charge an entry tax on Himachal-registered vehicles.
Cheema also said he would consult with the Minister of Public Works, the Advocate General, and legal experts in this regard, saying, "if we can impose it, then we will definitely do so".
After the Himachal government raised the entry fee on vehicles coming from other states last month, there was resentment among commuters who frequently travel to the hill state and residents of Punjab villages close to the Himachal border.
At that time, Chadha had demanded that the Punjab government should impose a reciprocal entry tax on Himachal-registered vehicles entering the state.