Ramnad district collector issues norms for entry fee collection

Ramanathapuram: Following complaints that tourists were being charged excess entry fees and were not being given proper receipts, Ramanathapuram district collector has issued strict guidelines for local bodies to follow when collecting entry fees.The local bodies usually collect entry fees for the vehicles that are entering tourist or worship places. The district collector, in a statement, noted that after frequent complaints from tourists alleging extra collection of entry fees, non-uniformity in the entry fee, non-issuance of receipts, and issuance of hand written receipts, an enquiry was conducted on July 14. “It was observed that only handwritten receipts are issued for entry fees and there was no banner or fee card to indicate to the tourists about the fee. The non-issuance of receipts in certain cases has led to hindering free flow of traffic,” he said.Hence, the district collector, Vishnu Chandran, has issued an order directing that no entry fee collection shall be allowed unless a resolution to that effect is in force by the concerned local body. Some of the other guidelines include ensuring a clear indication of prevailing entry fee by way of banners or boards near the entry, ensuring that the fee collectors pin a name badge in their shirts visibly to others, and stopping issuance of handwritten receipts to the public. Further, the local bodies should purchase handheld devices for the issuance of printed receipts and the rates entered in the devices shall be the rate decided by the concerned local bodies.
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