Under the proposed framework, private cars registered in Himachal Pradesh could be charged up to Rs 700 per entry, Himachal government official vehicles and escort convoys up to Rs 5,000 per entry, HRTC buses up to Rs 3,000 and heavy goods vehicles up to Rs 2,700. The proposal also seeks amendments to the Punjab Motor Transport Vehicles (Toll) Act, 1992, to widen the scope of toll collection from limited commercial vehicles to broader categories of mechanical vehicles.
The morcha leaders said that high entry tolls for vehicles registered in Himachal have been proposed to make up for loss the residents of Punjab have suffered due to Himachal entry toll imposed since more than 23 years.
The legal advisor of Sargarsh Morcha Utkarsh Monga, while talking to The Tribune, said that the draft had been prepared after consultations with various organisations and legal experts following a meeting with Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. They claimed the ministers had assured them that the Punjab government would seriously consider imposing reciprocal tax on Himachal Pradesh registered vehicles.
Morcha leaders maintained that the issue had been raised repeatedly before the Punjab government as residents, transporters and commuters from Punjab were being subjected to unfair financial burden at Himachal entry barriers for years. They said the proposed reciprocal mechanism was intended to send a strong message that Punjab would no longer remain a silent spectator to one-sided toll collection.
The draft framework, prepared by advocate Uttansh Monga, invokes Punjab’s legislative powers under Entry 59 of the State List relating to tolls. It also contains provisions regarding lease of toll barriers, digital payments, annual and quarterly passes, penalties for violations and recovery of toll dues.