E-Paper
Shimla MC to charge green fee from Sept 15
Green fee on the pattern of Manali all set to be imposed in Shimla from September 15. This comes following the much awaited green signal from the National Highway Authority of India that Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has received recently.
Come September 15, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will start charging green fee from vehicles bearing non-Himachal Pradesh registration numbers on their entry into the town.
The move follows the much-awaited green signal given by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) recently. Manali is already charging this fee.
The funds generated would be utilised by the corporation to improve infrastructure, tourism services and parking facilities. The charges are to be collected at four designated barriers: National Highway No 22 at Tara Devi; Totu near Tawi; Mehli, near the police post; and Dhalli.
Green fee is being seen as an important source of revenue generation for the cash-strapped civic body.
The SMC has offered a letter of acceptance to VK Group, Patiala, which would pay Rs 6 crore per annum to the civic body. With a two-year agreement, the SMC would be able to earn around Rs 12 crore from green fee.
MP Sood, SMC commissioner, said, "Finally, green fee would be levied from September 15. We had been working on modalities for almost a year."
A meeting with the selected company was held on Monday. The agreement would be signed before September 15, Sood added.
The SMC House had held a special meeting last year in September to chalk out a strategy for the levying of green fee in the town. The SMC had announced its imposition from April 1, but the delay in response of bidders after inviting of tenders and the wait for the NHAI nod slowed things down.
The fee, valid for seven days, is also known as composite environmental fee (CEF).
Vehicle Charges
Two-wheelers Rs 100
Car, jeep Rs 200
MUVs (Tata Sumo, Safari, Scorpio, Qualis, Bolero, Maxi Cab, etc.) Rs 300
Buses, trucks, other heavy vehicles Rs 500
