Councillors ‘overcharged’ at parking

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25

On a day when Smart City projects, including a smart parking app, were launched by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore, people were allegedly overcharged at several parking lots.

Interestingly, three councillors, who were among those who passed the parking rate proposal for the new company at an MC meeting, were overcharged at the Fun Republic mall. The councillors -- Shakti Prakash Devshali, Jagtar Singh Jagga and Vinod Aggarwal -- who had gone to Fun Republic, were charged Rs 10 in place of Rs 5 for parking of four-wheelers.

The councillors questioned the workers why they were overcharging when the civic body had decided that for the first three months, Rs 2 and Rs 5, would be charged for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, respectively, and the revised charges would be applicable from October.

“They told us the same rates were being charged at the Elante and Piccadily parking lots. This is clear overcharging and against what the House had passed. We have complained to Joint Commissioner Manoj Khatri, who has expressed surprise over it and said he would look into the matter,” said Devshali.

Sandeep Gora, project coordinator of the company managing the 26 parking lots in Chandigarh, said, “There is no question of overcharging. Three parking lots -- Elante, Fun Republic and Piccadilly -- have Rs 10 as the official fee for cars for long. It is written in the tender that for the first three months, we will charge the existing rates. There seems to be some confusion and people do not know about it.” Chandigarh Tribune tried to contact Khatri, but he did not respond to phone calls.

Earlier on June 19, when paid parking was reintroduced at the lots, complaints of overcharging and malpractice were received from the Sukhna Lake, Bank Square, Sector 17 and Elante Mall parking lots. Following this, the firm had terminated the services of 17 workers, including three supervisors. “We are looking at the turnover, but not at the cost of residents' convenience,” said Gora.