INDIA: Pay Up for Taking a Walk in Kolkata

KOLKATA (The Statesman), December 2, 2001: So you are a fitness freak and instead of spending money at the gym, rely on morning walk to maintain your fitness? This can’t be good news for you as morning walks now will come at a price, reports Kaushik Ghosh. Grappling with a severe financial crisis, a desperate state government has decided to pick on morning walkers using the forest department’s parks at Salt Lake and Midnapore by imposing an entry fee on them. About 2,500 “morning walkers” visit Banabitan for a walk daily. The measure, scheduled to take effect from December 1, has been postponed for a month owing to protests by Salt Lake residents. Forest department officials say they are firm on imposing the fee. The decision to impose a fee was taken after the state government had urged the forest directorate to raise more revenue. “The entry fee will be used for maintenance and beautification of the park. Besides, the introduction of photo identity cards will enable park authorities to ensure safety and security inside the park so early in the morning,” states an official.