Thiruvananthapuram: Sending a warning of retaliation to Tamil Nadu, Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said that the neighbouring State has increased the green tax by Rs 4,000 without consulting the Kerala Government. 

The Tamil Nadu move comes when the entire country is talking about one tax, he said in the State Assembly. The Minister said that if harm is done to us, we will harm them back. 

The Minister's strong reaction came after the Tamil Nadu government decided that tourist vehicles with All India permits entering that State will have to pay a quarterly tax of Rs 4,000 from November 1.

'Tamil Nadu should remember that Sabarimala season is coming. Most people come here from there. We will also fill the treasury. The position is that if you charge Rs 4,000 there, we will also charge Rs 4,000 here. If the KSRTC bus is seized, the Tamil Nadu vehicle will also be confiscated here. There is no compromise on that,” said Ganesh Kumar.

The Tamil Nadu Government has imposed a ban on inter-State buses that stop at various places and pick up passengers under the guise of All India Tourist Permits. Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Department has tightened checks against private buses registered in other States plying through Tamil Nadu with passengers. A total of 545 buses, including those from Kerala, have been prohibited.