The Special Area Development Authority (SADA) barrier at Kasol in the Manikaran valley of Kullu district has extended its fee collection to include vehicles from Himachal Pradesh, giving rise to a controversy. The decision marks a major shift from the original policy established in July 2021. At that time, the district administration had installed the barrier to collect a development fee from vehicles entering the tourist hotspots of Kasol and Manikaran. The primary goal was to generate funds for essential services like sewage treatment and scientific garbage disposal to preserve the region’s ecology. Under this initial framework, only vehicles from outside the state were charged the fee while those registered in Himachal Pradesh were fully exempted. The old fee structure was set at Rs 50 for two-wheelers, Rs 100 for cars, Rs 300 for SUVs/MUVs and Rs 500 for buses and trucks.
The new rules, implemented on May 13, have eliminated the long-standing exemption for local vehicles. According to the revised fee structure for the SADA barrier at Kasol, two-wheelers will now be charged Rs 50, taxis Rs 150 while SUVs and other commercial vehicles will have to pay Rs 300. Vehicles having up to 13 seats and registered in the state will be charged Rs 400 and all buses and trucks with more than 13 seats will have to pay Rs 500 per vehicle. However, vehicles from Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts will be exempt.
The decision has invited a backlash. Many visitors from the state had arguments with the persons manning the barrier. BJP workers and local residents, led by Manikaran Mandal BJP president Sanju Pandit, gathered at the barrier to hold a protest. They alleged that though crores of rupees were collected at the barrier every year, the funds had not been used for the development of the valley, leaving the Bhuntar-Manikaran road in a dire condition.
However, SADA Manikaran Chairman and local MLA Sunder Singh Thakur defended the decision saying that the collected revenue would be directly used for the development of Manikaran and Kasol panchayats. The situation remains tense as the administration and protesters stand firm on their positions.
