Patiala: Claiming that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu govt misled the Himachal Pradesh high court in an ongoing case regarding the legal basis of the levy collected at the state’s entry barriers under the Himachal Pradesh Tolls Act, 1975, the Sangharsh Committee — an amalgam of protesting unions — on Saturday said the Himachal govt’s affidavit was “deliberately misleading” and its justification for the entry tax was “legally untenable”.Addressing a press conference at Nangal, the committee leaders warned that they would escalate the agitation into border blockades from May 1 if the Himachal govt failed to withdraw the toll by the end of April 2026.The committee stated that the levy was being collected on the National Highways and argued that the state had no authority to impose the tax there, calling it a violation of central road statutes. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Nangal-based advocate Uttansh Monga challenged the legal basis of the entry tax in the high court. The committee alleged that the govt’s reply avoided the main question and relied only on broad claims of the state authority and revenue necessity.Earlier, two Right to Information (RTI) applications filed by Monga produced certified replies from the public information officer, department of state taxes and excise, Himachal Pradesh.The documents stated that toll barriers across the state collected over Rs 171 crore in the current financial year alone (April 2025 to Jan 2026). For the financial year 2024-25, the total collection stood at Rs 1,54,16,09,001, with a pending balance of Rs 3,20,000, which was still unpaid by the toll lessee at the Kuddu barrier in Shimla district.The district-wise breakdown for the FY 2024-25 showed collections ranging from Rs 41.80 lakh at Shimla’s Kuddu barrier to Rs 28.20 crore at the clubbed Mehatpur and Gagret barriers in Una district, while Baddi and Dherowal in the BBN Baddi together accounted for over Rs 43 crore.Punjab Morcha convenor Gaurav Rana told the media that the committee held direct discussions with Punjab transport minister Harpal Singh Cheema on imposing a reciprocal tax on Himachal Pradesh-registered vehicles, facilitated by minister Harjot Singh Bains.The committee said Punjab had a strong panel of legal advisers and the administrative machinery to draft and implement such a tax at the earliest. The committee leaders warned that continued inaction would lead the movement to hold elected representatives in border constituencies in Ropar, Mohali and Pathankot districts accountable.The committee said the legal dispute centred on whether two separate toll levies could apply on the same national highway, one imposed by the National Highways Authority of India under central law and another by the Himachal Pradesh govt under the 1975 state Act.It alleged the state govt, in its reply in the high court, did not address the overlap and instead tried to conflate the two. Advocate Monga said the govt did not cite clear statutory provisions and justified the levy on administrative authority and revenue needs, which he said amounted to evasion rather than a legal answer.Leaders of taxi unions alleged unofficial collections, ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 800 per vehicle at entry and exit points, in violation of the All India Tourist Permit regulations. They asked the Punjab govt to impose mirror charges on Himachal-registered vehicles and to direct border enforcement agencies to document each instance of unauthorised collection.The Sangharsh Committee said if the Himachal Pradesh govt did not withdraw the entry tax before the end of April 2026, the movement would resume on May 1 with intensified protests, including physical blockades of major road corridors leading into Himachal Pradesh.The leaders appealed to farmer unions and residents of Himachal’s border districts to join the campaign, saying the toll harmed economic integration between the two states.They said if the Punjab govt continued to delay a reciprocal levy, the agitation would increasingly focus on the constituencies of border district ministers and MLAs to seek public accountability at the ballot box.Yunus, the commissioner of state taxes and excise for Himachal Pradesh, could not be reached for a comment. MSID:: 130357002 413 |
