Tourism in the tiger reserves will cost more with the government planning to charge Rs 500 and Rs 750 as conservation fee from resorts. Recently the gate fee was increased and doubled on weekends and government holidays.

The revised guidelines on ecotourism notified by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on October 15, prescribes conservation fee on resorts in accordance to the number of beds in an accommodation facility. The state move follows the NTCA directives. 

Now, those wanting to stay in the resorts in the buffer and near the tiger reserves will be charged more. The state government is going to issue a GR this week. Till now these resorts reaped huge monetary benefits from tiger tourism but did not payback, except for employing a few individuals as per a report in TOI.

Sources said that the community and home stays run by local villagers will be completely exempted. However, private resorts and facilities run by the state that have a capacity of 10 rooms will be charged Rs 500 per room per month and facilities having rooms above 10 will have to shell out Rs 750. The fee will have to be deposited in the bank account of tiger conservation foundation quarterly.

SWH Naqvi, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Maharashtra, did not go into the details but said that the government is considering the matter and a formal GR is likely to be issued soon.

"The fund collected shall be earmarked to address local livelihood development, human-wildlife conflict management and conservation through eco-development. It will not go to the state exchequer as specified by the NTCA," Naqvi added.

As per the NTCA guidelines, the government will also announce local advisory committees (LACs) for four tiger reserves - Tadoba, Pench, Melghat and Sahyadri. The LAC will be headed by divisional commissioner with respective field directors as the member-secretary. The term of LAC will be two years.

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