The laid-back attitude of officers in gaining control of the parking lots managed by DDA is causing monetary losses to the Municipal Corporations in Delhi. Such is their slackness that they have failed to take control of nearly 50 parking lots all over the city despite clear cut directions of the lieutenant Governor.
Though the instructions to manage all parking sites in Delhi under one umbrella i.e. the three Municipal Corporations was issued more than a year ago, the authorities are yet to implement the same. Some of these parking sites exist in busy commercial hubs like Bhikaji Cama Place and Nehru Place. According to official estimates, this is causing annual revenue loss to the tune of `50 crore to the civic bodies.
lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna had in April 2012 ordered to bring all parking lots under one control so as to maintain a uniform policy for larger public interest. “All parking sites operating in Delhi should be managed under one umbrella to maintain a uniform policy that can be implemented in the larger public interest throughout the national Capital. Hence, the decision taken by the DDA in March 2012 in respect of handing over of parking sites back to DDA, presently being operated by MCD, was not necessary,” the order said. It had, however, exempted those parking sites that were required for some planned development projects by the DDA and also the ones that existed in development area.
The political leadership in the corporations too blamed it on the executive wing saying it was their failure to implement the l-G’s order which is resulting in monetary losses to the civic bodies.
“On our persistence, the l-G had ordered transferring the possession of all parking sites to the concerned local bodies. But they continue to be managed by the DDA due to the lax attitude of officers. We will again approach the lieutenant Governor seeking transfer of the parking sites,” said Subhash Arya, leader of House in the South Delhi Municipal Corporations.
Earlier, the civic bodies had also decided to take over all parking sites in Delhi — including those run by the DDA. According to them, any agency other than the municipal corporations that runs a separate surface parking was violating the law. The move to lay claim had started after the Public Works Department (PWD) had built a surface parking lot under the Naraina flyover.
The officers were also asked to prepare a report on such parking sites that belonged to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) so that necessary action could be taken to acquire them. Officials said all parking lots, including the new ones under flyovers, were under the control of the South Corporation and no other agency had the right to operate them. The corporations had also decided to wrest the parkings from the Delhi Metro.