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Activists, babus up in arms over Byculla zoo entry fee hike

BMC has proposed to hike the entry fee from Rs 5 and Rs 10 to Rs 100

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Save Rani Baugh Committee and retired bureaucrats have come together raising stiff opposition over the hike in the entry fee of Veer Jijamata Udyan in Mumbai, popularly know as Byculla Zoo. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to hike the entry fee from Rs 5 and Rs 10 to Rs 100. Two former municipal Commissioners and committee members met Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta on Monday and appealed to him to intervene.

Trustees of the Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation, several activists and retired bureaucrats have written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting him to take the issue very seriously as it will restrict the entry of common public as they will not be able to afford the hike price of the ticket.

On Monday, former bureaucrats DM Sukthankar, Sharad Kale and Hutokshi Rustomfram, trustee of the Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation, met Ajoy Mehta at civic headquarters.

"While animal enclosures are spread over only 18 per cent of the area, at least 63 per cent of the area is a garden and that needs to be preserved. The BMC cannot hike the fee so much so that the common citizens cannot afford to enjoy the open space. This is like charging them for fresh oxygen," said Hutokshi Rustomfram, trustee of the Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation, adding that it was unfair to restrict the common public entry into the garden just because they cannot pay to see the penguins.

A former BMC chief said, "How can a family of four afford Rs 400 just for the entry fee. We are going to continue our opposition until the civic administration and the political parties resolve to lower the entry fees."

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