Munish Sood
Mandi
At a time when Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a surge in tourist arrivals during the summer holiday season, the ongoing dispute over vehicle entry fees has taken a new and potentially troubling turn. The reported collection of a self-styled “Khalsa Entry Tax” by Nihang Singh groups near the Punjab-Himachal border has created fresh uncertainty for thousands of tourists and transport operators travelling to the hill state.
The latest development comes against the backdrop of weeks of protests, highway blockades and growing tensions over Himachal Pradesh’s entry fee policy for outside vehicles. With tourist destinations across the state witnessing heavy inflows of visitors, any disruption along the main entry routes from Punjab threatens to impact travel plans, increase journey times and create confusion among visitors unfamiliar with the controversy.
According to reports, Nihang Singh organizations have begun collecting amounts ranging from ₹100 to ₹500 from vehicles near the Morda area close to Kiratpur Sahib, on the Punjab side of the border. The groups have described the collection as a protest against Himachal’s entry fee regime and indicated that the exercise will continue.
The controversy stems from Himachal Pradesh’s decision to increase entry charges for certain categories of vehicles entering the state through border barriers. Although the government later rolled back the hike and reduced the fee from ₹170 to ₹100 following widespread opposition, resentment among several organizations in Punjab has persisted.
The dispute escalated further on June 2 when Punjab-based groups blocked key highways connecting the two states, including stretches near Mehatpur in Una district and the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway. The protests disrupted traffic movement and highlighted the growing anger over the issue.
What is now raising eyebrows is the apparent absence of a strong response from the Punjab government. Critics argue that while unauthorized collections are reportedly taking place on public roads, the state administration has remained a largely passive spectator, allowing the situation to escalate instead of intervening decisively.
For Himachal’s tourism industry, which depends heavily on visitors arriving through Punjab, the timing could hardly be worse. Hoteliers, transporters and tourism stakeholders fear that continued tensions and reports of multiple charges on travel routes may discourage visitors and tarnish the region’s image during one of the busiest tourism periods of the year.
With neither the protests nor the political rhetoric showing signs of abating, tourists heading to Himachal may find themselves caught in the middle of an increasingly contentious inter-state dispute that is now extending far beyond the original entry tax issue.
