Since the ban on frequently used Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes, people have been judiciously spending cash just on essential purchases. Hence, sightseeing or any other forms of entertainment have taken a backseat. So, no wonder small tourist spots in and around Pune, where entry fee ranges between Rs 10 and Rs 50, have witnessed a decline in footfall. Watch What Else Is making News Generally, the famous Sinhagad Fort at Atkarwadi attracted around 400 to 600 visitors during the week with nearly 3,000 visitors on Saturdays and Sundays each. On an average, their weekend collection used to be around Rs 85,000. However, the ongoing cash crisis had reduced their collection to Rs 74,600 last weekend and Rs 78,700 this weekend. “The entry fee collection usually increased up to ten times during weekends but post demonetisation, the number of visitors have reduced by at least 10 per cent. But we hope to see the numbers rise once the situation stabilises,” said Ashok Shankar Lokhande, Round Forest Officer of Forest Conservation Committee. Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum at Shukrawar Peth that boasts of more than 20,000 artifacts and is usually packed on weekends saw a 20 per cent dip in its footfall since the currency ban. “November had always been a busy month for the museum. However, the past two weeks have been not that brimming. But we are assuming that slowly the situation will improve,” said museum director Sudhanva Ranade, adding that in a year, the museum gets around 1.5 lakh visitors. At Aga Khan Palace, a historical monument built by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III in 1892, though the number of visitors dropped a little during last weekend but the numbers picked up this week. “The number of visitors did dip a bit initially but are stabilising gradually,” said Ganesh Dhotre, the manager at Aga Khan Palace. The entry fee for the palace is Rs 15 per adult and Rs 200 for foreigners.
