Ludhiana: NGO opposes bi-hourly rates at parking lots

With the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) working to introduce bi-hourly parking at its nine parking lots, city-based NGO Council of Engineers has demanded that the civic body stop allotting parking contracts and operate them itself

With the municipal corporation (MC) working to introduce bi-hourly parking at its nine parking lots, city-based NGO Council of Engineers has demanded that the civic body stop allotting parking contracts and operate them itself.

The NGO has also sought investigation into the earlier parking contracts awarded by Ludhiana MC and regular complaints of overcharging received in the past. (HT FIle)

In a complaint sent to chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann’s office against the “parking mafia” in the city, the engineers’ body has also sought investigation into the earlier contracts awarded by MC and regular complaints of overcharging received in the past.

President of the NGO, Kapil Arora, said bi-hourly rates will further encourage overcharging and should be stopped by the government. MC is also allegedly converting the green belt along the road from Dholewal Chowk to Sherpur Chowk into a parking lot, which is illegal, added Arora.

“No concrete action has been taken even after MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi caught the current contractor’s staff overcharging at the multi-storey parking near MC’s Zone-A office in the recent past,” he said, while adding that the blacklisted contractors are also getting new contracts by floating different companies.

MC has floated tenders to allot contracts of nine parking sites in the city where bi-hourly parking system will be introduced, online bids for which can be submitted by August 1. MC officials said the bi-hourly system is being introduced on the recommendations of the finance and contracts committee (F and CC) of MC and action is being taken against complaints of overcharging at parking lots.