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Ludhiana: Market body up in arms; MLA says will junk parking contract
Traders and shopkeepers at the city’s posh Sarabha Nagar Main market turned up the heat against the parking contractor, alleging misbehaviour and overcharging
Traders and shopkeepers at the city’s posh Sarabha Nagar Main market turned up the heat against the parking contractor, alleging misbehaviour and overcharging.
After the market association announced that they will pull down the shutters and shut the market for three hours, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Gurpreet Gogi Bassi intervened to placate the traders and shopkeepers.
Gogi assured the protesting traders that the current parking contract for the market will be terminated latest by October 31.
The protesters alleged that despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken against the contractor. Following Gogi’s assurance, the market association revoked the call for shutdown. Sarabha Nagar Main Market Traders Association president Kamal Sharma and chairperson Waung, who goes by a single name, said they have been facing problems in this regard for the past two years.
They alleged that the employees of parking contractors were overcharging the visitors. They claimed that when they objected to it, the employees used to threaten them.
Waung added that the employees of the parking contractor have been charging parking fees from their employees and them as well, adding that the parking staff’s behaviour often serves as a deterrent for those visiting the market.
Market association secretary Davinder Singh said no other market of the city has a parking fee. Following the announcement of the strike by the traders, MLA Gogi assured them that he will have a meeting with municipal corporation (MC) officials regarding the issue.
“We are fulfilling the legal formalities to terminate the parking contract by October 31. Two MC employees will keep a check on overcharging till then,”said Gogi. AAP leader Vijay Danav said that following complaints of misbehaviour by the parking lot employees, he requested the police commissioner to depute troops at the site.
The parking contractor could not be reached for a comment.
