Green fee in deep freeze ahead of MC elections
Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla May 1
The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) seems to have put the launch of App-based green fee to be charged from tourists on the back burner ahead of the MC polls, which are due for May 25 this year.
The main problem is that the SMC has no “foolproof system” to ensure compliance from tourists who do not want to face problems for not paying the green fee through the App-based system. The SMC has yet to set up counters at the parking lots and at an entry point near Shoghi to facilitate the tourists willing to pay green fee offline.
“We have identified the land near the Sabji Mandi barrier, Shoghi, and will open counters at all parking lots in the city to ensure payment of green fee”, said Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan. There is no going back on the launch of the green fee as it has been passed unanimously by the House and approved by the state government, Chauhan claimed. But the Mayor remains non-committal on the launch date. “As soon as we set up the counters at parking lots and Shoghi, we will start charging,” he added.
Though none of the political parties and hoteliers came forward to file their objections on the green fee proposal, there are apprehensions now that the hoteliers’ lobby is pressuring the Congress government not to impose green fee before the MC polls.
The SMC has reduced the penalty on the green fee defaulters from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,000 as demanded by the city’s tourism industry.
Municipal Commissioner GC Negi said the corporation would first try to put in place a system to charge green fee from the tourists who want to pay the fee offline or failed to pay through the app-based system. The SMC is hoping to earn about Rs 12 crore to Rs 15 crore from the green fee every year that can be used to pay the wages of a new force of over 150 sweepers that the corporation has deployed to maintain health and hygiene in the city.
Proposed charges
- Two wheelers: Rs 50
- Cars and SUVs: Rs 200
- Buses and other big vehicles: Rs 300
- Penalty on defaulters: Rs 2,000
The green fee charges will be valid for seven days.
