‘Punjab also knows how to impose taxes’: Bhagwant Mann issues warning to Himachal over entry fees for vehicles

Mann was referring to the Sukhu government proposing a sharp hike in entry tax on vehicles from other states, including Punjab. For example, charges for small cars were to go up from about Rs 70 to as high as Rs 130. However, on Tuesday, Sukhu announced a rollback of the new rates. Under the revised rates, five-seater vehicles will pay Rs 70, and 6-12 seater vehicles will pay Rs 110, as per the previous charges. The proposed hike had increased the tax to Rs 130 for both categories.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had spoken to Sukhu on the phone on Tuesday. Mann took a dig at the Congress camp, saying, “Why don’t Punjab leaders speak to their colleague? Himachal Pradesh is governed by the party. The Punjab Congress leaders should be raising the entry tax issue with their counterparts there.”

Mann also weighed in on former AAP MLA HS Phoolka joining the BJP, saying it was a “breach of trust”. He said, “AAP had appointed Phoolka as Leader of Opposition in 2017. He later resigned from both the position and as Dakha MLA. I have never seen a person who breaches the trust of those who elected him ever win again in elections. But all the best to him.”

From rural development spends to underground power lines

Mann presented the four-year report card of the Panchayats and Rural Development department. Highlighting his government’s record, Mann said that during the previous Congress regime, Rs 1,883 crore was spent on rural development over five years, whereas his administration has spent Rs 3,847 crore in four years.

The chief minister issued a stern warning to commission agents (arhtiyas), who have threatened to go on strike at the start of the wheat procurement season on April 1. He said their demands pertain to the Centre but added that the state would not tolerate “blackmailing” tactics that disrupt procurement.

In a separate announcement, Mann said a pilot project would be launched in his native village, Satoj, in Sangrur district, to lay underground electricity lines for agricultural fields. He noted that overhead lines often cause crop damage due to short circuits and lead to disputes over pole placement. If successful, the model could be expanded across the state, marking a shift in rural power infrastructure.