HC slams NDMC for ‘fleecing’ parking contrator

The Delhi high court has slammed the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for overcharging a parking contractor at the Sarojini Nagar market.

The Delhi high court has slammed the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for overcharging a parking contractor at the Sarojini Nagar market.

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The court ordered the NDMC to refund Rs. 11,92,440 to the contractor, Sanjay Jaiswal, and also imposed a cost of Rs. 40,000 on it for a "frivolous litigation", challenging a trial court order. NDMC was on May 16, 2012 directed by a lower court to refund the amount to him.

Jaiswal had complained that though the parking area was reduced in the 'G Avenue' after the 2005 bomb blasts, NDMC continued to charge licence fee for the entire parking area.

"The contractor cannot pay for an area which he could not use because of restrictions imposed by the government. He is entitled to remission," Justice Valmiki J Mehta ruled in a judgment. NDMC argued that as per the agreement, remission shall be granted only if the government took over the land for any "civil/excavation" work.

“NDMC is surely acting unfairly as the part of the parking area was no longer available to the contractor after the bomb blast," said the court.