The Punjab Front on Tuesday demanded complete exemption from entry tax for residents of Punjab’s bordering districts of Rupnagar, Mohali, Hoshiarpur and Pathankot while entering Himachal Pradesh, arguing that the levy imposes an additional financial burden on people who frequently travel between the two states.Gaurav Rana, convenor of the Punjab Front and a leading voice in the anti-entry tax movement, raised the demand before Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania during the latter’s visit to Majra in Nalagarh subdivision to assess pollution concerns related to an industrial waste disposal plant.Rana said the geographical and economic conditions of areas bordering Punjab were different from those in the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh. Residents of the border districts frequently crossed into Himachal for business, daily errands and family needs, making repeated tax payments a financial burden, he added. He said entry tax was collected at around 33 points along the Punjab border and demanded immediate relief for residents of the four districts.Rana clarified that the organisation was seeking complete abolition of the tax for border residents rather than passes for people living within a 5-kilometre radius. He warned that the agitation would continue unless the government took a concrete decision on the demand.Pathania told the delegation that the issue was already in his knowledge.Nalagarh MLA Hardeep Baba assured the group that the entry tax would not be increased in the future. He also said a 5-kilometre pass system had already been introduced to facilitate Punjab residents. However, Rana insisted that only a comprehensive exemption would provide permanent relief. He said the movement was being pursued through public mobilisation as well as legal channels, with advocate Uttansh Monga pursuing the matter in court.Rana also questioned why the waste disposal plant at Majra had not been sealed despite an environmental compensation of Rs 6.10 lakh being imposed for alleged environmental violations. He demanded an impartial inquiry into polluting industrial units in Nalagarh and other Himachal areas bordering Punjab, along with strict action against those found violating environmental norms.The Punjab Front said it would continue its public and legal efforts until its demands were addressed.