Tours to the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mughal Gardens will now come at a price. Starting August 1, visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan and the famed Mughal Gardens will have to shell out a registration fee of Rs.25.
According to officials these charges are being collected to “enable Rashtrapati Bhavan maintain and improve services for the public”.
This is for the first time that a registration fee will be collected from visitors. “The registration charges will not apply during the opening of the Mughal Gardens to the public in February/March every year. The charges will apply to people who book themselves for tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mughal Gardens through the online booking system on the website www.presidentofindia.nic.in. It will also apply to walk-in visitors on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays when the Rashtrapati Bhavan is open to public. An online payment system will also be available for the above,” said Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President.
Visitors in groups of 30 and more will be offered discounted rates and children below 12 will be exempted from registration charges, he said.
Over 34,300 visitors have availed of the tours through the online booking system, which commenced from January 1 this year. On an average, around 650 people visit Rashtrapati Bhavan every day.
