Chandigarh, Jul 20 (PTI) The Rupnagar Zila Parishad in Punjab’s Rupnagar district on Monday passed a resolution to impose “infrastructure toll tax” on vehicles coming from Himachal Pradesh, AAP MLA Dinesh Chadha said.
The resolution was passed during a meeting of the Rupnagar Zila Parishad held in Rupnagar.
Sharing the details of the meeting, Chadha said it has been proposed to impose tax to strengthen road infrastructure such as the widening of roads in areas of Rupnagar adjoining Himachal Pradesh in the wake of heavy vehicles entering from the industrial belt of the hill state.
“Rupnagar Zila Parishad has passed a resolution to impose toll tax on vehicles coming from Himachal Pradesh. With this tax, more road infrastructure will be created in Rupnagar areas adjoining Himachal Pradesh,” he said.
Clarifying that it was not an entry tax, Chadha said it has been decided to impose tax according to Section 189 of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act.
The Act empowers the zila parishads to levy tax, toll or cess.
“When we pay tax while travelling to Himachal Pradesh for creation of infrastructure there, then we can also impose tax here for road infrastructure. The Rupnagar Zila Parishad exercised its right,” he said.
The development comes months after a row erupted when the Himachal Pradesh government raised entry tax on vehicles coming from other states in the month of February.
Following that, there was resentment among commuters who frequently travel to the hill state and residents of villages in Punjab close to the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border.
At that time, Rupnagar MLA Chadha had demanded that the Punjab government should impose reciprocal entry tax on Himachal Pradesh-registered vehicles entering the state. PTI CHS KSS KSS KSS
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