Punjab’s first multi-level parking lot, built on land worth ₹250 crore in Bathinda, has run into operational troubles just a year after its opening.
Shopkeepers in the area, backed by political leaders, have opposed the towing of haphazardly parked four-wheelers by the private contractor in-charge of the parking lot.
Shopkeepers in the Gol Diggi area, a retail and wholesale market hub, allege that their business is being hit due to the towing away of customers’ vehicles.
They also observed a bazar bandh on Thursday, demanding removal of the contractor, following which the local body agreed to discuss the matter in the General House meeting on August 23.
Sonu Maheshwari, who is spearheading the agitation, said that shopkeepers demand a complete withdrawal of the contractor in traffic management. He alleged misbehaviour by the contractor’s team and termed charges of ₹15 for an hour “exorbitant”.
Meanwhile, officiating mayor Ashok Kumar on Friday said that towing away wrongly parked vehicles was part of the terms and conditions to make the contract viable for the private agency.
“The MC gets ₹84 lakh annually from the parking lot and the contractor was empowered by the General House to tow vehicles from no-parking zones of the catchment area in the market. Grievances raised by the shopkeepers and traders will be discussed. They closed the market in protest on Independence Day but it is a matter of record that no one has ever approached the elected representatives of the corporation or the municipal commissioner with a complaint of the wrongful conduct of the contractor,” said Kumar.
{{/usCountry}}“The MC gets ₹84 lakh annually from the parking lot and the contractor was empowered by the General House to tow vehicles from no-parking zones of the catchment area in the market. Grievances raised by the shopkeepers and traders will be discussed. They closed the market in protest on Independence Day but it is a matter of record that no one has ever approached the elected representatives of the corporation or the municipal commissioner with a complaint of the wrongful conduct of the contractor,” said Kumar.
{{/usCountry}}The six-storey building, constructed at a cost of ₹30 crore during the previous Congress regime, has a capacity for over 450 cars.
Municipal commissioner Rahul said the contractor was engaged in accordance with the “public parking policy” framed by the Punjab government in 2017 and his removal will require a nod from the state government.
“The local body earns ₹84 lakh annually from the self-sustained model. The House may agree to scrap the contract but it will require approval from the principal secretary of the urban local body as it would involve considerable revenue loss. The mega project was planned to streamline traffic management and multilevel parking is serving its purpose,” said the commissioner.