Earmark parking space, HC tells market committee

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, December 20

Deciding the petition filed by Pramjit Singh Sachdeva, a social worker and former Doaba zone president, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the market committee to fix and earmark the parking place in the market complex and ensure that parking fee should be charged from the owners of vehicles parked at that place only.

The court has directed that no money should be charged for entering the market complex.

Providing the details, Paramjit Singh Sachdeva, said: “As per the order, the compliance has to be done by December 21.”

“If the orders not complied within the stipulated time, I will knock the door of High Court again,” added Sachdeva.

Sachdeva, who had contested last (2017) assembly elections from Hoshiarpur on AAP ticket had promised to stop the “Goonda Tax” being extorted in the name of canteen and parking, whereas both didn’t exist in the mandi (Grain and vegetable market).

Sachdeva said he had voiced against extortion in the name of canteen and parking. After which the bidding process for it had to be postponed twice.

“We had raised our objections before the market committee officials, administrative officials and the Deputy Commissioner against the “Gunda tax”. But when they did not take action, I approached the High Court and filed two writ petitions,” added Sachdeva

He said the High Court had earlier, deciding one of two writs, ordered to stop the tax being collected in the name of the canteen in the new vegetable market. Now deciding the other writ, regarding extortion in the name of parking lot, the court had ordered to stop collecting the parking fee from everyone entering the Mandi.

“The court has instructed officials of the market committee to set the location and collect parking fees from the vehicles parked there. Besides, the Court has also ordered not to collect any money from those entering the Mandi gate,” he added.

He said if the orders of the High Court were not followed till December 21, then he would put a writ petition in the Court again. Madan Lal Sood, Mangat Ram Kalia, Kulbhushan, Balvinder Singh, Kulwant Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Tarsaam Saini, besides members of the Tempo Union, were present.