Barotiwala, March 30: Protesters gathered at the Barotiwala inter-state barrier on Monday morning to demonstrate against the Himachal Pradesh government’s decision to increase entry taxes effective April 1. The agitation, which saw the access road to Himachal blocked for approximately an hour, involved both Haryana residents and members of the Doon Tempo Operators Union of Baddi.
Under the new regulations, the levy for private vehicles is set to rise from Rs 70 to Rs 170. This adjustment has drawn significant criticism from industrial workers in the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh (BBN) area, who stated that the hike represents an undue financial burden on the common man.
During the demonstration, the Doon Tempo Operators Union issued a stern warning to the state authorities. Union secretaries Praveen Sharma and Jairam Chaudhary affirmed that if the decision is not revoked, they will be compelled to seal Himachal’s borders starting next month, preventing any vehicles from entering the state.
“If the government continues to ignore our demands, all tempo operators will drive their vehicles to Shimla and hand over the keys to the Chief Minister,” the union leaders declared. They maintained that the increased costs would directly damage the transport business and impact small-vehicle drivers.
The protesters noted that the BBN industrial belt relies heavily on daily commuters from Haryana, who will now face a steep increase in daily travel expenses.
