At a time when the North Delhi Municipal Corporation is reeling under severe financial crunch, the corporation has decided to do away with 13 parking sites from the list of authorised parkings.
The decision was taken after the corporation failed to get a response to the tenders from any contractors they had issued for these parking venues. While these parking sites, which are located at prime locations, could fetch revenue up to crores, opposition leaders have argued that the move is a result of corrupt and malafide intentions of MCD officials.
According to an order released by the North MCD, the authority has allowed to delete some parking sites from the list of authorised parking sites for non-operation of these parking sites due to various reasons.
Currently, there are 97 authorised parking sites in North Delhi, 45 authorised sites in East Delhi and 78 in South Delhi. However, many remain vacant due to the presence of the parking mafia in these locations. North MCD Standing Committee member Virender Babbar said, “These 13 parking sites could have fetched a good amount of revenue but the decision to remove these parkings from the list of authorised parkings is unacceptable. We will take up this matter and ask why such a decision was taken which is against the interest of the public.”
Sources said the decision was taken after the corporation failed to get a single response to the tender repeatedly in the last five years. Senior officials in North Corporation said the amount from parkings could fetch revenue running into crores, but they decided to do away with the parking by calling them “non-operational”. These parking sites are Bhagwan Mahavir parking, tempo parking opposite Delhi Stock Exchange, East and West Patel Nagar parking, Old Rajinder Nagar parking, BQ Market Shalimar Bagh parking, Rohini Court Gate no-4 parking, Udyog Nagar Industrial Area Peeragarhi parking, IP posit office parking, Manak Bhawan parking, Old lajpat Rai Market parking, Ghass Mandi Zakhira parking, Commercial Complex Bharat Nagar parking and parking near ISBT police post Delhi Metro Rail Police.
“Since no private party showed interest in these 13 parking lots, the North Corporation had no option than deleting these parking lots from authorised list of parking lots. As far as revenue loss is concerned, the civic body is deeply concerned about it and has been planning to initiate process of re-auction in coming days. If things go well, these parking lots will be auctioned within a short span,” said an official of North MCD.
leader of Opposition in North MCD Mukesh Goel said, “There is a nexus between private parking mafias and the corporation. The officers are just filling their own pockets, whereas the people cannot help but pay for these parkings to the mafias. Neither are people getting a relief from mafias nor is the Corporation fetching any revenue from these sites.”