Shimla local body to soon impose green tax on non-Himachal Pradesh vehicles

SHIMLA: It will soon cost you more to enter Shimla as its municipal corporation is all set to impose a green tax on all vehicles bearing non-Himachal Pradesh numbers.

"We are convening a meeting of the municipal corporation officials to finalise the date. We are going to impose the tax from this month," Shimla deputy mayor Tikender Panwar said on Friday.

While two wheelers would be charged Rs 100, cars and SUVs owners would have to shell out Rs 200 and Rs 300, respectively. Heavy vehicles need to pay Rs 500.

Though the proposal for levying the tax is around a year old, it was on August 9 that the Shimla municipal corporation got a go-ahead from the Union road transport and highways minister.

Corporation officials said the money collected would be used on measures to protect the environment. The green tax is likely to generate an income of Rs 6 crore annually for the municipal corporation, which is facing a financial crisis.

Manali, another tourist town in the state, has been for the past five years collecting a similar green tax.