Shimla, April 30 -- Himachal Pradesh government's decision to charge an entry fee from pilgrims and trekkers visiting the Churdhar peak in Sirmaur district is set to come into effect from May 1, officials said. The decision to charge the fee for visiting Churdhar, which houses the Shirgul Mahadev pilgrimage site at a height of 11,965 feet, has been taken by the local eco-development committee (EDC). The move comes close on the heels of a slew of the other charges announced by the government. Since it took charge in 2022, the Congress government has hiked the entry fee, imposed Rs.10 cow cess per liquor bottle, 2 paise per unit environment cess for power consumption at small industries, 4 paise for medium industries, 10 paise for large industries and commercial consumers, Rs.2 for temporary connections and stone crushers and Rs.6 on charging stations. The officials say the decision has been taken to protect the environment and maintain cleanliness of the holy place. The charges, across 10 categories, have been decided by Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary and the EDC. According to the fixed slabs, Himachal residents will have to pay Rs.20 per person, non-Himachalis Rs.50 and foreigners will be charged Rs.200. The officials said trekkers, hikers and campers will have to pay Rs.100, Rs.50 to Rs.100 from those carrying cameras, Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 per day for movie and documentary shooting, Rs.3,000 per day for wedding shoots, Rs.200, Rs.300 and Rs.400 for tenting (Indian citizens), Rs.500 per tent per day for foreign citizens and Rs.100 for travelling by mule and horse. They said the fee will be voluntary for residents of Sirmaur, Solan and Shimla. The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government has once again come under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Tuesday, leader of Opposition in Himachal assembly Jai Ram Thakur said, "Sukhu government is charging fee from the Hindu devotees who visit Churdhar. Charging a fee from people on religious pilgrimage within its own state clearly shows intentions of the Congress government. Sukh's government has become a 'government of fees' in just two years." The senior BJP leader and former Himachal chief minister pointed out that a 'similar' fee, 'the teearth yatra mahshoolor the jazia tax', was imposed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on the pilgrimage of Hindus. "Sukhu has imposed a fee not only on humans, but on horses and mules as well. Devotees and horse riders are troubled," he added, terming the move as 'malicious'. "The Chief Minister should refrain from such anti-people policies and focus on his election guarantees and manifesto," added Jai Ram. BJP alleged that the government is charging five times the money for making corrections in the birth certificates of newborns. Jai Ram's statements prompted a harsh response from Sukhu's principal media adviser Naresh Chauhan. "The state will never forget Jai Ram Thakur's tenure. They left no stone unturned to destroy the fiscal health of the state and failed to act in revenue generation. To bring the derailed economy back on track, the Congress government has to take tough decisions. Co-operation of every citizen is required to make the state self-reliant," he said....