Enforce HC order barring toll collection on road to George Everest estate: Uttarakhand govt to district authorities

UTtarakhand’s touristry section has asked territory authorities to constrain a heights court order barring toll collection on a public road to the George Everest estate near Mussoorie.The directive comes as locals continue protesting against the private firm operating the heritage site, accusing it of charging fees on the road in defiance of the January 6 order.“The high court order clearly states there will be no fee for using the public road, but entry into the park is chargeable,” tourism secretary Dhiraj Singh Garbyal said. “We have written to the Dehradun district administration and the SSP to ensure compliance.”The Uttarakhand high court passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Vinita Negi. She challenged a toll barrier installed by Rajas Aerosports and Adventures, which operates the estate under a government lease.The court said the ban on toll collection applies only to the public road, not the estate itself.The company denies wrongdoing.“There was no toll being collected,” said Ajay Dubey, operations manager at Rajas Aerosports and Adventures. “A barrier was set up to manage traffic. We now collect entry fees at the estate entrance. The court held we have the right to charge for access to George Everest Park.”Dubey said the protesters are “outsiders” trying to damage the company’s reputation.But locals insisted the HC order is being violated.“The high court ruled categorically that collecting any entry fee on a public road is illegal,” said Lushun Todaria, convenor of Mool Niwas Bhumi Kanoon Sangharsh Samiti. “But the orders are being openly flouted.”Meera Saklani, chairperson of Mussoorie Municipal Council, said the road was built by the civic body in 2012 and connects several villages.“We have no objection if the company charges an entry fee for the estate property,” she said. “But they can’t restrict free movement of people to their villages.”The state tourism department restored the George Everest estate and opened it to visitors in 2021. The ₹23.5 crore project was funded by an Asian Development Bank loan.In July 2023, the government granted Rajas Aerosports a 15-year concession to operate the site for an annual fee of ₹1 crore. The Congress alleged irregularities in the bidding process, claiming that all the participating companies were connected to Acharya Balkrishna, a close associate of yoga guru Baba Ramdev.Sir George Everest served as surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. The world’s highest peak is named after him.