As rising fuel prices trigger protests and political slugfests across the country, residents of the remote Pangi Valley in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district have quietly borne an even heavier burden for years—paying nearly 25 per cent more for fuel simply to survive.
While petrol prices in most parts of Himachal Pradesh are yet to breach the Rs 100 mark, people in the isolated tribal valley are already paying nearly Rs 125 per litre for petrol and around Rs 110 for diesel after the latest hike.
Even before the recent increase, petrol in the valley was selling at around Rs 120 and diesel at nearly Rs 105.
The reason is simple—Pangi does not have a petrol pump.
Residents and traders have to travel through treacherous mountain roads to procure fuel from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, about 120 kilometers from Killar, Pangi’s subdivisional headquarters.
The petrol pump at Tandi in Lahaul-Spiti is about 118 km away, and the one at Khushnagari in Churah of Chamba via Sach Pass is nearly 100 km, the latter being accessible only in summers.
Local traders procure fuel in barrels under special permission from the administration, transport and stock it in the valley, and sell it after adding transportation expenses.
For locals, expensive fuel is not a temporary crisis. It is a way of life. And they can’t even protest because it is not a need but a necessity.
“People in cities protest when petrol prices increase by two or three rupees. Here, we have been paying Rs 20 to Rs 25 extra per litre for years because there is simply no alternative. You may call it our premium survival tax,” said local resident Ajit Rana.
In the harsh Himalayan terrain of Pangi, fuel is directly tied to survival, and its high cost makes everyday commodities far pricier than in other parts of the state.
Another resident, Surender Sharma, said every hike in diesel prices pushes up the cost of daily living in the valley. “We pay higher prices for vegetables, groceries, medicines, cement, construction material—everything becomes expensive.”
He added that while fuel prices dominate political discourse in urban areas, the hardships of remote tribal regions rarely receive attention.
“In the plains, rising fuel prices affect convenience and monthly budgets. In Pangi, they affect survival itself,” he said.
Locals say that, despite being one of the most remote and strategically important tribal regions of Himachal Pradesh, Pangi continues to struggle with poor connectivity and a lack of basic infrastructure, including a fuel station.
