Siliguri: Tourists heading to Sandakphu, Bengal’s highest point, will now have to pay forest entry charges again, with Singalila National Park restoring visitors’ fees after the destination reopened following a three-month closure.Indian tourists will be charged Rs 200 per person while foreign tourists will have to pay Rs 500. Vehicle entry fee has been fixed at Rs 480. A guide fee of Rs 1,200 per day will also apply where required, adding to the cost of a Sandakphu trip over and above vehicle fare, food, accommodation and other expenses.These charges were not collected on the first day of reopening as visitors had not been informed in advance. The forest department later notified local stakeholders, including the Singalila Land Rover Owners’ Association, about the resumption of the fee.“The destination was opened to tourists after three months on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, the tourists were not charged. The fee will be charged from Thursday,” said SLROA president Chandan Pradhan.A Land Rover charges Rs 5,500 for a same-day return trip to Sandakphu, with an additional Rs 1,500 for every extra night halt. The fare up to Tumling and back is Rs 2,500 while a night halt there costs an additional Rs 1,500.Apart from Singalila National Park, tourists visiting other protected areas in the region will also have to pay entry charges under the restored system. At Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, the fee is Rs 50 for visitors to Tiger Hill and Rs 150 for destinations other than Tiger Hill. Entry to Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary will cost Rs 150 while visitors to Neora Valley National Park will have to pay Rs 200.The fee system had been suspended in Jan 2025 after Mamata Banerjee questioned the forest department’s decision to charge visitors at destinations like Buxa Tiger Reserve. She had said students on nature expeditions and picnickers should not be burdened with entry fees. Ranger, South Range of Singalila National Park, Roshan Rai said the department had received orders to resume fee collection and had put up notices at Manebhanjan, Tumling and other locations to inform tourists before they proceed towards Sandakphu.The restoration is an interim measure. A Sept 14 forest department notification said field-level fixing and collection of entry fees had drawn adverse observations from the Accountant General. A high-level committee will frame a new SOP for visitors’ charges. Until then, fees will be collected through GRIPS and deposited in the govt exchequer.
