MC terminates licences

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

Finally, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has terminated the licences of two parking lots — at Elante Mall and Sukhna Lake — as the replies submitted by both contractors to the show-cause notices issued by the MC have not been found to be satisfactory.

The MC has given both contractors one month and it will take over these lots on May 20.

On April 7, the MC had issued show-cause notices to both contractors as a majority of the complaints of overcharging received by the civic body were from these two lots. However, on April 8, both contractors had submitted their replies and had surrendered their lots. The contractors had stated that they would surrender their lots after three months.

However, MC Additional Commissioner Sarita Malik today terminated their licences and stated that the replies submitted by the contractors were "not satisfactory".
Terming the surrender applications submitted by the contractors "afterthought which cannot be accepted", the Additional Commissioner issued directions to take over these lots on May 20.
Amarjit Singh was allotted the contract of the Sukhna Lake parking lot while Pritpal Singh was allotted the contract of the Elante Mall parking lot. Sources said both contractors had further sublet the parking lots.
At present, the Elante Mall parking lot was being run by Lal Singh and Company while the Sukhna Lake parking lot was being run by Malkeet Singh.
Vigilance probe
On April 8, UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev had marked a Vigilance probe into overcharging and other violations by paid parking lot contractors in the city.
The probe was marked to Special Secretary, Home and Vigilance, SB Deepak Kumar. He was asked to find out if there was any nexus between the MC staff and the contractors.
Violations continue in paid parking lots
Despite the Vigilance probe, paid parking lot contractors continue to violate the terms and conditions.
After the Vigilance probe was ordered, various teams of the Municipal Corporation and the Vigilance Department had conducted surprise inspections in these lots and had found contractors overcharging people.