This remindes me of our recent visit to Elephanta Caves..
Last April, we a group of 7 went to Bombay for sight seeing.
6 of us were first timers to Bombay.
We took the one hour boat drive from Gate Way of India Rs.110x7.
Then about one hour walk including steep set of stairs to reach the Caves (up
on the hill).
At the enterance, the tickets booking counter, the only clerk refused to give
us Rs.20 tickets
saying that we are all NRIs. So demanding to pay about Rs.300 ($6) per head
(foreigners' charges
).
We end up in arguments with the booking clerk. None of us had any IDs like
driving licence etc to
prove that we are Indian. I was willing to pay 300x7 but 3 of them refused to
join in protest so
we all come back without seeing the 750AD Elephanta Caves. We saw plenty of
monkeys though who
would even snatch bags from you if you carry one.
Still don't understand why the booking clerk thought we were all NRIs (infact,
I was the only one
with video camera, never looked like a proper NRI- with simple dress and with
mustache or facial
hair, my own niece (foreign born) when she was about 11 used to called me
'terrorist'.
But the other 6 all 'bekar shetts' well dressed some with raybans, expensive
wrist watches, gold
chain/bracelets and 2 of them could not even sign their own names.
I still wish visit the caves again. And this time I will carry my Indian
Driving Licence with me.
Would you like to join me ? Its going to be around April this year.
==============
Double tariffs for NRIs, foreigners may go
February 10, 2006 18:24 IST
In a bold step to do away with double-tariff regime, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh has asked
various ministries to work towards a system that is not 'discriminatory'
towards foreign visitors
and Non-Resident Indians when they avail certain services in the country.
The prime minister has directed Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi to review with
ministries
concerned the 'discriminatory' charges being levied for services to foreign
passport holders
including NRIs, the prime minister's media advisor Sanjaya Baru said.
Singh has suggested that the ministries concerned should examine the
feasibility of ending this
'anomaly and treat all consumers of such services on par irrespective of
nationality,' he said.
India is one of the few countries where a foreigner was required to pay more on
various counts.
At present higher charges are levied on foreign passport holders for hotel
tariffs, entrance fee
to historic monuments and tourist sites and domestic airfare.
They also have to shell out extra money as registration fees for conferences or
seminars, charges
for booking space for trade and other exhibitions organised by the ITPO and
other organisations.
Under the present system, they have to pay more for subscribing to journals or
magazines and
healthcare.
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