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Ludhiana: Overcharging irks visitors at zila parishad parking
Visitors at the Zila Parishad building in India are being overcharged for parking, with rates up to ten times higher than they should be. The lack of a displayed rate list is also a violation. Visitors have expressed outrage and called for action against the contractor responsible. The government has promised an investigation and potential penalties if the contractor is found guilty.
In a striking contradiction to the state government’s commitment to creating a corruption-free atmosphere, a concerning situation of widespread overcharging has surfaced at the Zila Parishad building adjacent to the clock tower.
Visitors are forced to pay 10 times more parking charges than what they should be paying. Moreover, no rate list is displayed at the location of the parking which is a violation of the norm.
According to the official rates, a two-wheeler is supposed to pay ₹5 for an hour of parking, while a four-wheeler is charged ₹10 for the same duration.
However, visitors have raised their voices against the startling discrepancy, alleging that the parking contractor is demanding ₹100 from four-wheeler owners, a tenfold increase from the actual rate.
A visitor, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his frustration, “It’s an absolute outrage. We hear about the government’s efforts to eradicate corruption, and here the parking employees are blatantly exploiting the public without any fear of the officials.”
Sachkirat Singh, another visitor, recounted his experience, stating, “The parking attendant demanded ₹100 instead of the actual price of ₹10. When I inquired about the rate list and the excessive charges, the employee engaged in a heated argument and insisted that I must pay ₹100 to park my vehicle.”
According to a few visitors, parking attendants typically demand ₹ 50 from two-wheelers, a significantly higher amount than the legitimate rate. One visitor Neeraj Kumar expressed, “Given that there are banks within this building and I frequently visit it, the hefty parking charges are unacceptable. I urge the relevant authorities to take strong measures against the contractor.”
Upon reaching out to Sandeep Kumar, the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) in charge of development, he stated, “I have summoned the concerned officers to a meeting in my office on Friday morning. We will conduct a thorough investigation, and if the contractor is found guilty, stringent action will be taken against them.”
