A park official disclosed that an official of the entertainment tax department had some time back visited the national park with a few of his friends and wanted free hospitality, which was refused.

'Sure enough, the imposition of entertainment tax is a reaction to our refusal to oblige the official,' he said.

State principal secretary (institutional finance) D.D. Verma said: 'I am gathering all facts related to this case and will take the officials to task in case it was found that they had acted on account of vested interests.'