Ramnagar: Jim Corbett National Park, one of India’s most famous wildlife destinations, is in the spotlight after a shocking incident. On Sunday morning, when online bookings for the Dhikala zone opened at 10 a.m., all rooms were booked within just 120 seconds.
The Dhikala zone is the most popular area of Corbett Park, attracting tourists from India and abroad. It offers limited accommodation—around 20 rooms at the main camp, plus a few in Sultan, Garal, Khinanauli, and Sarpaduli ranges, along with a 20-bed dormitory. Because of this limited capacity, demand is always high. However, the speed of bookings this time has raised serious questions.
Allegations of Permit Mafia
Local tourism businesses allege that a “permit mafia” is controlling the booking system. Traders say the process of online booking is complex, involving multiple steps like date selection, tourist details, Aadhaar numbers, OTP verification, and captcha. Completing all these steps in just two minutes seems impossible without automated software or bots.
Tourism businessman Aman Khan claimed that permits are being sold in black. A three-day stay costing around Rs 30,000–33,000 is allegedly being resold for Rs 30,000–40,000 just for the booking itself. Safari permits, normally priced between Rs 3,000–10,000, are reportedly being sold for up to Rs 40,000.
Online System Under Scrutiny
The online booking system was introduced to replace manual booking, which had transparency issues. But now, even the digital system is under suspicion. Recently, an additional OTP security feature was added, but instead of solving problems, it has increased doubts about irregularities.
Demand for Cancellation
Tourism businesses have demanded that all current bookings be cancelled. They argue that the booking website, operated by a private company, may be misused for spam or automation. If a fair investigation is not conducted, they plan to approach the High Court.
Investigation Launched
Corbett Park Director Dr. Saket Badola has appointed Park Warden Binder Pal Singh as the investigating officer. Singh has sought a response from the private booking company, asking why the OTP system was integrated without prior notice. He confirmed that the matter is being investigated and further action will be taken after the company’s reply.
Traders Threaten Legal Action
Local businessmen have warned that if irregularities are not addressed quickly, they will move to court and expose the alleged permit mafia. The incident has created unrest among tourism operators, who fear that genuine tourists are being deprived of fair access to bookings.
The Dhikala booking controversy has raised serious concerns about transparency in Corbett Park’s tourism system. Whether this is a technical glitch or a deeper conspiracy will be revealed in the investigation report. For now, tourists and businesses await clarity, hoping for a fair and transparent booking process.