Bhubaneswar: The Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar generates an average monthly revenue of Rs 1.77 crore from providing various services and activities, Odisha Assembly was informed on Tuesday.
This information was shared by by the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram SinghKhuntia while answering a question from Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
The zoo employs a total of 6 persons in ‘A’ category, 5 in ‘B’ category, 35 in ‘C’ category, and 106 in ‘D’ category. Together, the salaries of these employees amount to an average of Rs 64.17 lakh per month, the Minister said.
He said 399 personnel from external agencies, 35 from the Odisha Industrial Security Force, 15 retired army personnel, and 40 from the Department of Land Resources (DLR) have been deployed at both the Nandankanan Zoological Park and the State Botanical Garden. The combined expenditure on their salaries is approximately Rs one crore every month.
The Minister stated that the zoo generates its monthly revenue of Rs 1.77 crore from sources including the sale of tourist entry tickets, safaris, battery-operated vehicles, ropeways, children’s trains, boat rides, multi-vehicle accommodation, restaurants, souvenir shops, and ATM counter fees.
Similarly, the monthly expenditure at the park averages around Rs 1.69 crore.