Five buses from Delhi fined Rs 5K each for wrongful entry in Kullu

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, June 18

The Kullu police have intercepted five Volvo buses carrying tourists from Delhi in the past three days though the inter-state movement of buses is not yet allowed in Himachal.

The inter-state movement of buses is not permitted yet. However, five Volvo buses arrived here by crossing three districts despite vigil at the borders. Kullu SP Gaurav Singh said that the buses came via Nalagarh and reached here bypassing the barriers. He added that the buses were stopped at Bhuntar and Patlikul in Kullu. A fine of Rs 5,000 each had been imposed on the buses and had been halted. The challans had been forwarded to the Transport Department for further action.

The SP said tourists in these buses did not have e-passes to enter the state. However, they were registered and were allowed to stay. He added that the entry of tourists was not prohibited but they should register themselves for e-passes.

Meanwhile, the tourism industry has praised the police decision to allow the Delhi tourists to stay after registration. They said that the police ensured that the tourists are not hassled because of the fault of the bus operators. “If a group of tourists wants to visit Kullu-Manali, they should choose four-wheelers having 12 to 18 seats to avoid inconvenience and embark on journey only after the approval of the e-passes.

Hoteliers of Manali said that the e-pass system should be done away with, as it was causing losses to a large number of hospitality units dependent on walk-in customers. They added that some visitors find applying for an e-pass as complicated and time consuming. The e-pass approval was sometimes delayed for days together.