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Chandigarh: Despite Purohit’s directive, MC House firm on double parking fee
On being questioned by mayor if they were against the decision, no councillor spoke up; final call on the fee hike remains with the Chandigarh administrator
Even after Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit directed mayor Anup Gupta to roll back the decision to charge double parking fee from four-wheelers registered outside the tricity, the municipal corporation (MC) House on Tuesday dug in its heels against revoking the hike.
To be sure, the fee hike, first decided at MC’s July 25 House meeting, can only be enforced if approved by the UT administrator.
In the House meeting on Tuesday, though there was no agenda related to parking fee or policy, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Jasbir Singh Laddi asked the mayor about the status of the policy, which the administrator had asked to review.
To this, mayor Anup Gupta questioned the councillors if they were against the proposal of charging double fee from non-tricity four-wheelers. However, no councillor from any political party raised objection.
“All councillors, irrespective of the party, are in favour of the proposal. A delegation of councillors will meet the UT administrator soon to discuss this issue,” the mayor said.
During the Administrator’s Advisory Council Meeting on August 19, Purohit had said there can’t be disparity in the parking rates for tricity residents and those living outside. “Chandigarh should set an example of parity,” the governor had said, while directing the mayor and MC commissioner Anindita Mitra to charge equal parking fees across the board.
During the House meeting on July 25, MC had imposed a marginal fee hike for tricity cars, but decided to double the fee for cars registered outside the tricity. MC had also decided to waive parking fees for all two-wheelers and electric four-wheelers (up to March 31, 2027).
Currently, the civic body charges ₹7 for two-wheelers and ₹14 for four-wheelers, irrespective of the vehicles’ registration number.
The MC House had also approved monthly passes for locals. For non-commercial four wheelers, ₹300 were planned for monthly pass for single or multiple entries in a day up to 12 hours (for specific parking). For commercial four-wheelers, the monthly pass’ cost was set at ₹800.
Though the mayor had claimed that the plan was aimed at decongesting the city’s parking lots and generating more revenue for the civic body, the policy had evoked strong opposition from political parties from Punjab and Haryana.
Cutting across all party lines, political leaders from the two states had termed MC’s policy as discriminatory and illegal, while reminding the civic body that Chandigarh is the capital of two states.
The revised parking rates were approved by the 35-member Chandigarh MC House, where the BJP has a clear majority with 14 councillors, one more than AAP’s 13. The Congress has seven seats and the SAD one. Back then, the fee hike decision was supported by both the BJP and the Congress, when the AAP councillors were marshalled out of the meeting.
Though AAP councillors had earlier demanded free parking for all and advertisement boards in parking lots to generate revenue, no AAP councillor on Tuesday opposed the hiked rates even when the mayor asked about their stand.
Congress brings locks to ‘shut MC’
Earlier, during the zero hour of the House meeting, Congress councillors protested against the UT administrator for interfering in MC’s working.
Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi, who handed over a lock and keys to the mayor, said, “We should shut the MC because every policy approved by the general House is being opposed by the UT administrator, UT adviser and administration. The House had decided not to set up EV charging stations in MC’s parking lots, but UT is still doing so. We approved hike in parking rates, but UT is again interfering in this matter. MC House had also asked to slash sewerage cess, but the administration is not paying heed.”
Graft case: Joint committee of councillors and officers to probe matter
After councillors, cutting across party lines, demanded inquiry against senior officials of MC’s medical officer of health (MOH) wing for their alleged involvement in a graft case, mayor Anup Gupta said a committee of councillors and officials will be formed for a probe.
On August 8, CBI had arrested Sandeep Dhankar, health supervisor in the sanitary department, MC, and CSI Chander Mohan, for seeking ₹2 lakh bribe for reinstating a sacked employee. ₹1 lakh were recovered from them.
On Tuesday, Congress and BJP councillors also demanded an inquiry against MOH Dr Vinay Mohan. They slammed the officer for not answering their calls or conducting inspections.
Maheshinder Singh Sidhu, a BJP councillor, raised the question: “Is it morally appropriate to allow a senior official to remain in their position if their name was mentioned by the arrested individuals during investigation? Although those who have been arrested have been suspended in accordance with the law, those whose names have been mentioned also need to be acted against.”
Sidhu also demanded constitution of a fact-finding committee to establish how many MOH wing employees were sacked and reinstated over the past 18 months.
Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat also supported the demand for a committee, with inclusion of councillors.
However, MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “I haven’t received any complaint against other MOH officials. I will be the first one to order an inquiry against any official if I get communication from CBI (regarding their involvement) or till I get proof, myself. Also, inquiry powers lie with the commissioner and it is not in the MC Act to include councillors in the inquiry committee,” Mitra said in the house.
Mitra said she had already suspended the arrested staff members. “Only yesterday, I took action against two other employees after constant complaints were received against them,” she added.
Meanwhile, the mayor, who had earlier written to the chief vigilance officer to probe the matter, told the commissioner that there cannot be different yardsticks while taking action against officers. “A committee will be formed, with councillors as members, to investigate senior officers of the MOH wing,” the mayor said.
