Palace board to hike entrance fee

MYSORE: Palace Board has decided to revise the entrance and parking fees, which will be implemented soon.As Amba Vilas Palace, popularly known as Mysore Palace, created record by receiving 32 lakh tourists, the step is expected to increase the revenue to `12 crore this year.The Palace Board Committee headed by Chief Secretary S V Ranganath took the entry fee recovered from Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens as the base to revise the entrance fee of the Palace.Once this is implemented, tourists have to pay an amount almost the double of the present fee.On Wednesday, at the Palace Board Committee meeting held at Vidhana. Soudha in Bangalore chaired by its president and Chief Secretary S V Ranganath, it was decided to revise the entry fee along with the vehicle parking fee.Considering the proposal moved by the DC and the Chief Executive Officer of Palace Board P S Vastrad to revise the entry fee, the Committee has decided to hike the entrance fee by two fold.The existing entrance fee was fixed in 2002. As per the revised tariff, tourists have to pay an entrance fee of Rs 40 and children above 10 years have to pay Rs 20.The existing fee is Rs 20 for adults and Rs 10 for children above 10 years.The fee of Rs10, which is being collected from school children, will continue as existing.But, the Committee has decided not to hike the entrance fee of Rs 200 collected from foreignersThis apart, the Committee has also decided to revise the parking feeIn the revised tariff, vehicles such as bus, mini bus and tempo have to pay Rs 50 instead of Rs 20.The other vehicles Qualis, Sumo, Jeep and Car have to pay Rs30 instead of Rs 15.Presently, vehicle parking is being handed over to private parties through tenderAn official in the Palace Board told on condition of anonymity that DC P S Vastrad will decide regarding the implementation of the revised fee after one more round of discussions with the Finance Department. It may be introduced before this Dasara.The DC did not respond to the calls made by TNIE. The Board has decided to continue free service for depositing camera at the counter and shoes at a stand near Varaha Entrance.