Price Of Protest: Raipur Civic Body To Impose Tax On Demonstrations

The civic body in Chhattisgarh's Raipur passed a resolution imposing a tax of Rs 500 for holding protests or demonstrations in public open spaces across the capital.

It was decided in the general meeting that anyone seeking to set up a pandal or stage in an open area will be required to pay Rs 5 per square foot, a decision that civic leaders and opposition groups are calling an attempt to "tax dissent".

According to the resolution, the rates have been fixed for "cleaning and maintenance" of protest and demonstration sites, apart from crowd control during large gatherings. However, many activists and citizens view this as a direct curb on democratic expression, especially at a time when the government has already banned protests at the Tuta Dharna site in Naya Raipur. Critics argued that basic civic responsibilities, such as cleaning and maintenance, cannot be monetised at the cost of citizens' right to protest.

Defending the decision, Raipur Mayor Meenal Choubey said the step was taken in accordance with state government instructions. "The state government has clearly ordered that specific rules be established for such activities. Under this, a fee is charged along with the 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," Choubey said.

Opposition leaders said the new policy is "undemocratic" and meant to discourage people from raising their voices on public issues.

Currently, the protest fee stands at Rs 500, but officials have hinted at a possible increase to Rs 1,000 in the coming days. A proposal to this effect was also unanimously passed during the municipal meeting.

A row erupted over the fees, heightened by Raipur Collector Dr Gaurav Singh's imposition of a temporary ban on protests in Atal Nagar, Naya Raipur, citing ongoing maintenance work. The ban will remain in place for two months, and during this period, no alternate protest site has been authorised by the district administration.

This means that for the next two months, there will be no officially sanctioned space to protest in the state capital and once the ban is lifted, citizens will have to pay to raise their voice.