12 Jalpaiguri: CM Mamata Banerjee, at an administrative meeting in Alipurduar on Wednesday, slammed the forest department for imposing fees on tourists visiting Jayanti, Rajabhatkhawa and other areas of Buxa Tiger Reserve and ordered the practice to stop. "Many students come to Buxa for nature expeditions and picnickers visit the forest for a day out... Charging them to enter the spots is inhumane. We are held responsible for this, but we do not give such orders to collect toll from people visiting the forest. This must stop," she said.
Banerjee's direction came after Alipurduar MLA Suman Kanjilal complained about the practice. The charge for a 4-wheeler, including the driver, is Rs 480; the toll per head is Rs 150. "There are so many homestays. Why would a tourist be charged to reach the homestay? He is already paying for the homestay," the CM said.
Banerjee added that it was important to track the movement of wild animals like elephants for the benefit of picnickers and tourists. "We need to develop a scheme and involve tribals with good knowledge the forest for this purpose," she said.