Tourists, locals resent ‘entry fee’ to Neugal Café

Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, March 24

Tourists and locals have strongly resented the ‘uncalled for’ entry fee of Rs 10 at Neugal Café, imposed by the HP State Tourism Development Corporation.

People’s Voice, a leading NGO, speaking on behalf of the residents, said there was no justification of the entry fee.

Addressing mediapersons, K B Rahlan and Daleep Sharma, members of People’s Voice, said the café, owned by the HPTDC, was in bad shape and food and snacks served were of inferior quality. Before imposing the entry fee, the HPTDC should have improved its services and quality of food and snacks.

“It is unfortunate that instead of improving the services at the tourist centre, the HPTDC has imposed an entry fee which has irked the visitors and locals,” they said.

Both Rahlan and Sharma urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to direct the HPTDC to withdraw the entry fee with immediate effect. They suggested that if the HPTDC was not ready to withdraw the entry fee, it should reduce the food charges.

They said since the time the entry fee was imposed, it had not only caused resentment among the visitors and locals but had also affected sales at the café.