Green Tax Collection Through Fastag Gets Going Via D.B.Kuppe Range Of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve
The “Green Tax” collection was earlier done manually and through app-based collection for travellers going in Light Motor Vehicles and heavy vehicles: Reports
BENGALURU: The collection of “Green Tax” will be through Fastag, electronic toll collection, for travellers passing through Udboor Gate to Bavali Checkpost via D.B. Kuppe range of Nagarahole National Park, a tiger reserve, of H.D. Kote in Mysuru district. The “Green Tax” collection was started in April, 2022 at the tiger reserve but switched to the Fastag collection about a fortnight back after a private bank evinced interest in introducing it.
Such collection of “Green Tax” exists in Bandipur National, also a tiger reserve. Bandipur tiger reserve switched over to Fastag “Green Tax” collection sometime back.
The “Green Tax” collection was earlier done manually and through app-based collection for travelers going in Light Motor Vehicles and heavy vehicles. For Light Motor Vehicles, “Green Tax” collected is Rs 20 while it is Rs 50 for heavy vehicles. However, vehicles bearing registration numbers KA09 and KA45 (both Mysuru registrations) have been exempted from paying “Green Tax.”
The “Green Tax” collected from travelers is used for Park development such as maintenance of roads among others, said a forest officer and stated “About 250 ply via Udboor Gate-Bavali Checkpost on a regular basis and the Green Tax collection is not huge.” “The Fastag is installed by a private bank,” he clarified.
A traveler welcomed the Fastag “Green Tax” collection at Ubdoor Gate and Bavali Checkpost. He said he travelled through D.B. Kuppe range of Nagarahole a month back and he was handed over manually written a chit bearing an official seal, vehicle number and date of journey and there was no mention of Rs 20 paid for a Light Motor Vehicle.
The traveler said he suspected “where do have the money gone just by a chit for green tax paid.” The forest officer said “I do not know the reason for forest personnel handing over a chit for a traveler” and he suspected “The app might not have functioned on that particular date.”
“We have a register maintained on the number on “Green Tax” collected at both Udboor Gate and Bavali Checkpost. Besides, there are CCTV cameras to monitor vehicles plying on the road which links Manandawadi in Keralam with H.D. Kote of Mysuru,” the officer stated to rule out any “misuse” of “Green Tax” collected.