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Uncertainty on rate hikes to enter Agra monuments

Published

9 years ago

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agraAgra:Uncertainty continues to baffle tour operators on the hiking of entrance ticket rates for various Mughal monuments in Agra.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has so far not clarified whether the rates would be revised upwards from April 1, as announced earlier. The new rates were announced last November but due to protests by travel and tour operators, including the Indian Association of Tour Operators, as also the local tourism industry, a decision was postponed till April 1 this year.

The present rate for domestic tourists at the Taj Mahal is Rs. 20 and this is proposed to be raised to Rs.50. Foreign tourists have to currently shell out Rs.750 and this will be raised to Rs.1.250. Rates for other monuments have also been upped.

However, the ASI has not yet announced when the new rates will come into force. According to the local ASI officials, the decision has to be announced by the culture ministry in New Delhi.

Sunil Gupta of Travel Bureau said the ASI should immediately clarify the issue and clear the mist.

“They do not have any clear policy. The rates have to be rationalised, but the hike should be reasonable. We are already concerned at the falling number of foreign tourists. The ASI obviously wants to reduce the number of tourists from the conservation angle, while the tourism bodies want the number of tourists to go up,” Rajiv Tiwari, president of the Federation of Travel Agents Association of India and senior industry leader, told IANS.

“The minister concerned (Mahesh Sharma) heads both the tourism and culture departments. To increase the revenue we have given several suggestions. If the ASI hikes the ticket rates, the Agra Development Authority (ADA) too will increase its share and raise its ticket rates. Presently the ADA collects Rs.500 and Rs.250 goes to the ASI from the Rs.750 ticket for foreign tourists,” he added.

ASI officials said there was no directive from the ministry so far, which means the present rate structure may continue.

The ASI has been chiefly concerned with somehow reducing the crowds at the Taj Mahal.

“The human pollution is creating problems and the increasing number has to be somehow rationalised in line with the NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) recommendations,” Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, told IANS.

“One suggestion is to limit the visiting time to two hours per ticket. The other is a staggered system which means you pay more if you want to go close to the main structure of the monument. Those who see the Taj from a distance pay less, those who go closer pay more,” he added.

One thing is for sure: All stakeholders will be waiting with bated breath till at least March 31. If there is no announcement by then it will mean the status quo will continue.

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What monkey fled with a bag containing evidence in it: Read full story

Published

2 years ago

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May 5, 2022

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The court, generally, considers a person who commit a crime and the one who destroys the evidence, as criminals in the eyes of law. But what if an animal destroys the evidence of a crime committed by a human.

In a peculiar incident in Rajasthan, a monkey fled away with the evidence collected by the police in a murder case. The stolen evidence included the murder weapon (a blood-stained knife).

The incident came to light when the police appeared before the court and they had to provide the evidence in the hearing.

The hearing was about the crime which took place in September 2016, in which a person named Shashikant Sharma died at a primary health center under Chandwaji police station. After the body was found, the deceased’s relatives blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway, demanding an inquiry into the matter.

Following the investigation, the police had arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera, residents of Chandwaji in relation to the murder. But, when the time came to produce the evidence related to the case, it was found that the police had no evidence with them because a monkey had stolen it from them.

In the court, the police said that the knife, which was the primary evidence, was also taken by the monkey. The cops informed that the evidence of the case was kept in a bag, which was being taken to the court.

The evidence bag contained the knife and 15 other important evidences. However, due to the lack of space in the malkhana, a bag full of evidence was kept under a tree, which led to the incident.

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