Mumbai: Massive zoo fee hike dropped

Mumbai: Even before the Humboldt penguins at Byculla zoo are opened for public viewing, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday came up with a proposal to hike the viewing charges by as much as 25 times. However, it was defeated by Shiv Sena, who asked the civic body to keep the fee for viewing penguins free of cost for the first two months, but only for children, and adults who accompany them. The Sena asked the body to continue charging adults who are not accompanying a child.

In an attempt to increase municipal revenues, the civic administration on Saturday had proposed to hike entry charges to the zoo significantly. The uniform charges for children and adults for zoo entry were earlier Rs Two and Rs Five respectively. (The charges continue to remain the same after BMC’s proposal to hike the entry fee was shot down.)

BMC recommended a whopping 20 to 25-fold hike in the charges, proposing to increase them to Rs 20 and Rs 50 respectively. The charges for viewing penguins were listed separately at Rs 50 and Rs 100 for kids and adults respectively.

The civic officials had claimed that providing state-of-the-art facilities at Byculla zoo would put a burden on the municipal exchequer and the charges had to be hiked in order to maintain these amenities.

However, keeping in mind the possible public furore, Shiv Sena leaders shot down the idea and asked civic officials to put the proposal on the backburner. “The civic administration should prepare a detailed data after studying the number of tourists and students, the maintenance cost of penguins in the next two months and bring the proposal in the month of March,” said mayor Snehal Ambekar.

According to civic officials, penguins will be available for public viewing by the end of January. “Shiv Sena chief Uddhavji Thackeray had proposed to inaugurate the penguin enclosure at the hands of municipal students. Accordingly it will be opened for public viewing at January end,” said standing committee chairman Shailesh Phanase.

“The BMC has implemented the project to ensure that city children, who cannot afford to go abroad, get to see penguins here. Hence kids below 12 and students from municipal schools and private schools will be allowed to see them free of cost. The parents and teachers would also be allowed in the zoo along with them,” said house leader Trishna Vishwasrao from Shiv Sena.