The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to impose a ‘green fee’ on tourist vehicles entering Shimla.
Mayor Surender Chauhan, during the first Budget of the Congress-run civic body on Thursday, announced the decision to levy green fee to generate income to fill the empty coffers of the corporation.
The civic body aims to earn an income of Rs 10 crore per year by imposing the ‘green fee’.
Presenting a budget of Rs 247.44 crore, he announced an increase from April 1 in cess on liquor bottles, which has been hiked from Rs 2 to Rs 10.
Apart from the construction of parking in Shimla city, other announcements made in the Budget include widening roads and tackling the menace of stray dogs.
The civic body intends to conduct a census of stray dogs, registration, and sterilisation to rid the city of the rising population of stray dogs.
“To facilitate the elderly population of the city, the corporation will collect blood samples free of cost from their doorstep for testing,” said Chauhan, adding that this Budget is tax-free.