MC to convert 73 lots in city into paid parking

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 14

Facing a financial crisis, the local Municipal Corporation has started the process to convert all 73 non-paid parking lots in the city into paid ones. Sources said MC Commissioner KK Yadav had formed a committee of senior officers to decide the terms and conditions of tenders, to be floated after getting approval from the general house of the MC.

The agenda for conversion of free parking lots into paid lots would be placed before the House for approval. An officer said the MC was likely to generate over Rs 70 crore from the auction of the parking lots. The layout plan of the parking lots had been prepared after the architecture wing of the MC carried out a survey with the help of the Engineering Department. The issue of converting the free parking lots has been pending for over a year. At present, there are only 25 paid parking lots in the city, which are being managed by Arya Toll Infra Limited. The company was allotted the contract last year for nearly Rs 15 crore. The sources said the survey team had identified 73 non-paid parking lots which could be converted into paid lots.

The civic body has been at loggerheads with Arya Toll Infra Limited over the parking rate issue. It has started the process to look for other areas to generate more revenue. An officer said looking at its poor financial condition, the MC had no option but to create more paid parking lots to generate revenue. The MC is facing a financial crisis and has no money to pay contractors.

The sources said if the MC auctioned all unpaid parking lots, it would generate over Rs 70 crore annually. Devinder Singh Babla, Congress councillor, opposed the move and said the Congress would oppose the proposal if it was put up before the House for approval.