Himachal Land Revenue Cess has triggered a fresh inter-state dispute after the Himachal Pradesh government decided to impose a new levy on Punjab. The move is likely to put an additional financial burden of nearly ₹200 crore on Punjab, while Haryana and Rajasthan may also face its impact.
The Himachal Land Revenue Cess decision comes soon after an earlier water cess row, which had imposed an estimated ₹400 crore burden on Punjab. The Himachal Pradesh High Court later struck down that levy as illegal, intensifying scrutiny over the new move.
The Punjab government reacted strongly, with Aam Aadmi Party Punjab spokesperson Neil Garg calling the cess a direct attack on the state’s finances. He said the Mann government will oppose the decision at every possible platform and will not allow Punjab’s interests to suffer.
Garg also accused the Congress-led Himachal government of straining relations by first laying claim to Chandigarh and now imposing the land revenue cess. He questioned the Punjab Congress’s stand and urged the Centre to intervene in the matter.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi defended the levy. He said the state has the legal right to collect land revenue on its land and dismissed Punjab’s objections, claiming Himachal Pradesh has faced long-standing injustice.
