New Delhi:
Daily public tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan, which began for the first time from January 1 this year at the initiative of President Pranab Mukherjee and have become very popular with tourists, will now cost Rs.25 per person.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan press release said nominal registration charges of Rs.25 will be levied upon visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mughal Gardens from August 1, 2013.
These charges are meant to enable Rashtrapati Bhavan maintain and improve services to public, the release said.
The above registration charges will not apply during the opening of the Mughal Gardens to the public in February/March every year.
The registration 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.
Visitors in groups of 30 and more will have discounted rates. Children below 12 will be exempted from registration charges.
Since the online booking system commenced from Jan 1, 2013, over 34,300 visitors have availed of the tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mughal Gardens. On an average, around 650 people visit Rashtrapati Bhavan each day.