Manali tourists stuck in jams as Himachal Pradesh entry tax protests continue

KULLU: Truckers on Thursday staged a protest at the Garamaura toll plaza on the Punjab-Himachal border, alleging arbitrary entry tax rates. The truck drivers accused toll plaza staff of charging higher rates and held a protest that caused a traffic jam on the Chandigarh-Manali highway for more than two hours. Many tourists heading for Manali also remained stuck in the jam. Truckers said that they were being charged a hiked entry rate of Rs 800. "A fellow truck driver was charged Rs 800 as entry tax and when he protested, the toll staff reduced it to the previous Rs 570. I was charged Rs 800. The toll staff is charging arbitrarily even though we were told yesterday that the old entry tax would continue for 10 days till a final decision is taken," said Kulwant Singh, a truck driver.Protesting again the hiked entry tax rates, various truck, taxi and Kisan unions from Punjab blocked the highways at the Punjab-Himachal border at Una and Bilaspur. The blockade was lifted after the HP govt officials assured the protestors that their demand of lowering tax would be looked into and the issue resolved within 10 days. On the other hand, the staff at the entry tax toll claimed that they were charging tax from non-HP vehicles as decided by the state govt. As the commuters started complaining, police and officials from the border districts of Himachal and Punjab reached the spot and cleared the traffic jam.As per the rationalised and revised rates issued by the HP govt following Wednesday's protests, all non-HP passenger vehicles of sitting capacity up to 12 will be charged Rs 100; light commercial vehicles up to two axles, Rs 320; and Rs 570 for three-axle commercial vehicles.