Shimla, June 14: The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, burdened by debt, has doubled the entry fees for Indian tourists at wildlife parks and sanctuaries from ₹150 to ₹300. This decision has sparked political controversy, raising questions about the financial management capabilities of Chief Minister Sukhu’s administration.
In a state preparing for assembly elections next year, the entry fee for foreign tourists has also been increased to ₹600, marking a 100% hike. BJP leaders have sharply criticized this move.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari stated, “Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Khatakhat Economic Model’ has plunged Himachal Pradesh into darkness, and the Congress government is robbing the people of the state.” He specifically targeted the Congress government’s decision to raise entry fees for wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas.
BJP leaders argue that Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh has become a state that operates on borrowed funds, imposes taxes to cover deficits, and passes the costs onto the public due to its incompetence.
Himachal Pradesh is home to 28 wildlife sanctuaries, three of which are located in Shimla district: the Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary, Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary, and Talra Wildlife Sanctuary. Other sanctuaries include Chail and Majathal in Solan district, and Tirthan, Sainj, Kais, Kanawar, Khokhan, and Manali in Kullu district.
The notification regarding the fee hike was issued by Chief Secretary-cum-Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) K.K. Pant. It also includes increased charges for professional photography and cinematography in protected forest areas.
Opposition BJP leaders claim that this fee increase is a result of the Congress government’s rising debt and financial pressure, stemming from attempts to fulfill electoral promises and free schemes.
According to the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) report, the total outstanding debt on the state was ₹95,632 crores by the end of the fiscal year 2023-24. The report also indicated that between 2019 and 2024, 52.99% to 74.11% of the funds raised from public debt were used to repay old loans.
The BJP asserts that Himachal Pradesh is among the most debt-ridden states in the country. Chief Minister Sukhu had informed the assembly that by January 31, 2026, the state’s total debt had reached approximately ₹1.01 lakh crores.
In the budget estimate for 2025-26, ₹58,514 crores, nearly 70% of the total budget, is allocated for salaries, pensions, interest payments, and debt repayment.
BJP leaders argue that a government spending two-thirds of its budget merely to sustain itself has effectively ceased to govern. They claim it is merely surviving at the expense of the public.
They emphasized that increasing entry fees for wildlife sanctuaries is not an isolated decision but part of a broader trend of imposing economic burdens on the public.
BJP leaders also referenced previous actions, including a 15% increase in bus fares in May 2025, withdrawal of electricity subsidies in 2024, hikes in electricity rates in 2023, increases in ration prices in 2024, and the introduction of a 10 paise milk cess per unit in 2024.
Additionally, they accused the Sukhu government of corruption, citing serious questions about its functioning due to multi-crore mining scams, fraudulent Ayushman Bharat card schemes, fake purchases of fruit-bearing plants in the horticulture department, and a ₹175 crore tender scam related to the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited.
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