Entry fee for neighbouring country tourists at monuments slashed

Visitors from the SAARC and BIMSTEC countries would be charged the same rates of the entry fee to ticketed monuments as Indian citizens, Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni announced। Addressing the MPs of the Consultative Committee attached to her ministry, she said though the debate on charging a uniform entry fee from other foreign visitors was still on, there was a strong point in continuing with the present differential rate of tickets। The entry fee for visitors from the SAARC and BIMSTEC countries has been put on par with Indian citizens as an acknowledgement of the common heritage between India and its neighbouring countries and promotion of regional solidarity. Giving details of plan expenditure on restoration and maintenance of monuments, Soni said the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12) proposals, amounting to Rs.9.33 bn, were more than three times the provisions during the earlier plan. A substantial amount of these allocations would be spent on making monuments more attractive through programmes like Light and Sound shows at the World Heritage Sites, establishment of tourist facilities and better signage. Those who attended the meeting included Chander Kumar, N.K.S. Chauhan, Pankaj Chowdhary, Parasnath Yadav, Chandan Mitra, Barun Mukherjee and Surendra Motilal Patel.