NEW DELHI (TIP) Visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan will have to pay a fee from September 1 to enjoy the tour. The President’s office has introduced a “registration charge” of Rs 25 per person per visit for individuals and groups of people below 30. A group of 30 visitors will be charged Rs 600 while more than 30 people will be charged Rs 600 and an additional Rs 25 for every extra person. Children below the age of 12 years are exempt from charges. School groups aged above 12 years are likely to be adversely impacted by the introduction of this fee.

The charges, according to a statement from the President’s office, can be made through an e-payment gateway that was launched on Thursday by secretary to the President Omita Paul. An online booking system for tours of Rashtrapati Bhavan was started on January 1. Since then, over 47,000 persons have visited Rashtrapati Bhavan using the system. Bookings for tours are opened one month in advance and have met with enthusiastic public response. The charges are expected to enable Rashtrapati Bhavan maintain and improve services to the public.