MANALI: After facing hurdles in issuing manual permits to visit Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh from Manali , Kullu administration on Wednesday decided to provide permits online. The move will minimize fraud and fleecing of tourists, who are made to pay fees other than congestion charges of Rs 50. Earlier, tourists, travel agents and hoteliers were made to pay Rs 200 as contribution to Manali Winter Carnival, an annual event."This will end all possibilities of fraud. Tourists can now easily obtain permits to cross Rohtang pass online. In cases of emergency, we can issue manual permit from the office," Manali sub-divisional magistrate Hem Raj Bairwa said.Tourists are required to have a valid permit to cross Rohtang pass and as directed by National Green Tribunal (NGT), they need to pay Rs 50 as congestion charges. The permit can be obtained online but as the demand was very high, most genuine tourists were forced to visit the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) office to get permit manually."We were told that only Rs 50 is being charged. But when we applied for permit on Monday by submitting all required documents, the person on chair handed me over two slips, one for Rs 50 and another for Rs 200. He said that higher officials have given them strict instructions that permit should not be issued unless both the fees are paid," Jayraj Patel , a tourist from Gujarat, said.Upon receiving complaints from tourists, local travel agents and hoteliers, a group of local media persons on Tuesday visited the office to verify. The person in office said, "SDM has asked us that if anybody refuses to pay the amount (for Winter Carnival), ask him to meet me. We are just following the instructions," he said.Kullu deputy commissioner Yunus said tourists should book permits online by paying just Rs 50 per permit. "The permits are available online only. Manual permit to go beyond Rohtang can be issued only in emergency. And nobody can charge more than Rs 50. If more than this is being charged from anybody, he can complain with SDM or with me" he said.Meanwhile tourists on Tuesday who thronged the SDM office to seek permit to go to Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh jammed the entire secretariat. Most of them waited the whole day as officials asked them that permits to eligible persons would be issued after 3:30pm, but they didn't get the permit.

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