Chandigarh: A joint protest committee campaigning against the entry tax collected by the Himachal Pradesh government on National Highways and NHAI-managed roads has approached President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervention to abolish the levy.
The committee has submitted an 80-page petition under Articles 256 and 257 of the Constitution, urging the President to intervene in what it describes as a constitutional dispute involving legislative powers over National Highways.
The petition was filed through advocate and legal adviser Utansh Monga on behalf of the joint action committee, which comprises several farmers’ and social organisations from the Ropar region.
According to the committee, the issue has moved beyond public protests and now raises important constitutional questions concerning India’s federal structure, legislative authority over National Highways and the division of powers between the Centre and the states.
The petition contends that the Himachal Pradesh Tolls Act, 1975, under which the entry tax is being collected on National Highways, violates the provisions of Part XI of the Constitution, which deals with the distribution of legislative and executive powers between the Union and the states.
It argues that only Parliament has the legislative authority to impose tolls or taxes on National Highways and that state legislatures have no constitutional power to levy such charges. The petition also refers to Article 254, which deals with inconsistencies between Central and State laws.
The committee said it had earlier submitted a detailed representation on June 2, 2026, to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and other concerned authorities. However, alleging that no concrete action was taken, it has now sought the intervention of the President.
