Book contractor if fee is levied to enter Chandigarh’s grain market: HC to police

It is ordered that if the contractor is found charging parking fee at the entry gate, the police will register a criminal case against him, as well as, against the officials of the market committee, HC said

The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered registration of a criminal case against the contractor if his staff is found charging parking fee at the entry gates of the Sector-26 grain market.

Petitioners had alleged that contractor was charging fee at the grain market’s entry gates irrespective of where the vehicles were headed. (HT File Photo)

The high court bench of justice Rajbir Sehrawat passed the order on a plea by one Amit Kumar Bansal and three others, who in February had approached the court alleging that the parking contractor had been assigned only some particular slots for the operation and management of paid parking. But he had been levying parking fee even at the market’s entry points, irrespective of where the vehicles were headed. Neither any tender was floated nor was any entry fee ever imposed by the authority concerned, the plea had argued.

Acting on the plea, the high court had appointed two advocates as local commissioners to visit the spot, and report about the operation and management of the parking areas in the Grain Market. The report was submitted during the hearing on Thursday.

The court asked various parties to get a copy of the report and point out the people responsible for negligence in ensuring proper maintenance of parking on the adjourned date.

“In the meantime, it is ordered that if the contractor is found charging parking fee at the entry gate, the police will register a criminal case against him, as well as, against the officials of the market committee, and investigate the said aspect,” the court said, adjourning the matter for March 24.