Jaipur: A single bench of Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday asked the department of archaeology to listen to the suggestions of the Elephant Village Development Society before fixing the rates of elephant rides from elephant stand Amber to the Amber fort. The court was hearing the state archaeological department's decision to reduce the rates of elephant rides of tourists from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1,500 without hearing the applicant society.
In the petition, the applicant society challenged the order of the department of archaeology on Nov 8, in which the prices of elephant rides were reduced from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1,500. The applicant society said that the archaeological department cannot reduce the rate of elephant rides without hearing them. It was pleaded that the action of the state govt is against the principles of natural justice.
Justice Mahendra Kumar Goyal gave this direction while hearing the petition of the president of the Elephant Village Development Society, challenging the order of the department of archaeology to reduce the rates. In response, AAG Surendra Singh Naruka, on behalf of the state govt, said that under sub-rule 4 of rule 1968, the state govt has the right to increase or decrease the rates. That is why the state govt reduced the rates.