Shimla, May 6,
In a bid to shore up its dwindling finances, the Himachal Pradesh government has initiated a sharp hike in contractor registration and renewal fees under the Forest Department, marking a tenfold increase in charges after nearly three decades.
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According to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Nachan, SS Kashyap, the department has received official orders to implement the revised fee structure with immediate effect.
As per the latest government notification, the new registration fee for contractors dealing with the Forest Department has been raised from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000—a tenfold hike. Similarly, the renewal fee, earlier Rs 200, will now cost Rs 2,000. This revised renewal charge is applicable every third year, in line with existing licensing cycles.
Additionally, the monthly late fee for failing to renew on time has also been increased from Rs 100 to Rs 300. These changes are the first major revisions in nearly 30 years. The last such hike was in 1995, when the registration fee was raised from Rs 100 to Rs 500, and the renewal fee from Rs 25 to Rs 200.
The Forest Department issues licenses to contractors for various tasks, including the extraction of forest produce like herbs and the felling of dry and ageing trees. For this purpose, both registration and timely renewal of licenses are mandatory.
The state government’s notification has now been circulated to all divisional offices and will apply to all new registrations and upcoming renewals.
This fee hike is part of a series of measures being taken by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government to meet the rising burden of public expenditure. With mounting liabilities and a heavy salary and pension bill, the state is exploring every possible avenue—from power tariffs to registration charges—to enhance its internal revenue generation.
The decision is likely to draw mixed reactions from contractors, some of whom may feel the pinch of the sudden financial burden.
