The municipal corporation in Raipur, Chhattisgarh has passed a resolution introducing a new fee structure requiring citizens to pay Rs 500 to hold protests in the city, NDTV reported on Friday.

Under the new policy, anyone setting up a stage or pandal in a public space will be charged Rs 5 per square foot.

Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led civic body.

Mayor Meena Choubey said the fees are meant to cover expenses for cleaning, maintenance and crowd management during demonstrations, NDTV reported.

“The state government has clearly ordered that specific rules be established for such activities,” NDTV quoted her as saying. “Under this, a fee is charged along with permission. If there is a protest or procession, the route is known in advance, and cleaning arrangements are made after the event. The fee has been imposed as per the government’s directives.”

Activists have criticised the new policy, saying it was designed to discourage people from raising their voices on public issues and amounted to a “tax on dissent”, The Wire reported.

The decision came as the city’s primary protest site, Tuta Dharna Sthal in Naya Raipur – a planned township about 20 kilometres from the old city that serves as Chhattisgarh’s new administrative capital – has been closed for demonstrations for two months.

Raipur Collector Dr Gaurav Singh issued an order banning all protests at the site, citing ongoing maintenance work, NDTV reported.

According to the order, the protest ground near Rajyotsav Maidan in Atal Nagar will undergo repairs for about two months, during which the site has been handed over to the Urban Development Authority for maintenance.

Until the work is completed, no dharna, protest or public gathering will be allowed there.

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