1 week ago
Bengal Forest Entry Fees Set to Resume After 20 Months
West Bengal plans to start charging visitors again to enter forests and wildlife areas.
The forests are expected to reopen to the public on September 15.
Visitors previously paid between ₹60 and ₹120 each.
Private vehicles could also be charged ₹200 in some places.
The fees were stopped after Mamata Banerjee announced free entry in January 2025.
A forest minister said the government lost important revenue during the suspension.
Some of that money had supported village committees near the forests.
The government is considering making the new fees slightly cheaper than before.
West Bengal plans to resume entry fees for national parks and wildlife sanctuaries from mid-September.
Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said fees may be marginally lower than previous rates.
Earlier charges ranged from ₹60 to ₹120 per visitor, plus ₹200 per private vehicle where applicable.
The fee system was halted after Mamata Banerjee announced free entry at an Alipurduar meeting in January 2025.
Forest officials said suspending fees reduced funding for forest protection and village development committees.
- Who
- West Bengal’s forest department, Forest Minister Manoj Oraon, and visitors to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
- What
- Entry fees will resume after being suspended for around 20 months, with the government considering slightly lower rates.
- Where
- National parks and wildlife sanctuaries across Bengal, including entry points such as Rajabhatkhawa in the Buxa Tiger Reserve.
- When
- From the next visitor season, beginning around September 15, after the annual three-month closure.
- Why
- Officials said the previous free-entry decision caused revenue losses and reduced funding for forest protection and village development committees.
Supporters of Free Entry
Supporters of Fee Collection
Visitor access and affordability
Supporters of Free Entry
The earlier decision removed what was described as high entry fees, allowing visitors to enter national parks and wildlife sanctuaries without paying.
Supporters of Fee Collection
The forest department plans to restore charges, though the minister said rates may be slightly lower than before.
Revenue and conservation funding
Supporters of Free Entry
The free-entry policy was announced after a complaint about high fees at Rajabhatkhawa, the entry point to Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Supporters of Fee Collection
Forest officials said suspending fees caused substantial revenue losses and deprived forest and village committees of funds for development projects.
Key facts
- Fee resumption
- The forest department plans to restart collecting visitor entry fees in the next season.
- Public reopening
- Forests are scheduled to reopen on September 15 after their annual three-month closure.
- Previous visitor fee
- Visitors previously paid approximately ₹60 to ₹120 per person.
- Vehicle fee
- A ₹200 charge was collected for private vehicles where entry was allowed.
- Suspension decision
- Fees were stopped after an administrative meeting in Alipurduar on January 22, 2025.
- Earlier announcement
- Mamata Banerjee announced that visitors would not be charged entry fees.
- Affected funding
- Forest protection committees and eco-development committees lost a source of funding for projects in forest-fringe villages.
Quotes
Manoj Oraon
West Bengal forest minister
“We hope the collection will resume in the next season (mid-September onwards). The decision by the earlier government led to a loss of revenue. This time, however, we plan to keep the rates slightly lower than before.”
telegraphindia.com
“We will soon start collecting entry fees from visitors entering national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across Bengal.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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