No holds barred for contractor of Civil Hospital parking lot

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 19

Patients and attendants visiting Civil Hospital are fleeced with impunity by the parking contractor as they are charged goods and service tax (GST) for parking. The GST is not payable on parking fee.

An amount of 90 paisa each as state GST and Central GST is charged along with Rs 10 for parking scooters and motorcycles, taking the total fee to Rs 11.80. Similarly, Rs 1.90 each as state GST and Central GST is charged with Rs 20 for parking cars, taking the total to Rs 23.80. Though cycle parking is free of cost, it was learnt that even cyclists are asked to pay Rs 10 as parking fee. A board displaying the parking rates with GST has been displayed at the entrance to the hospital.

Ram Parkash, a visitor to the hospital, said he had come to the hospital on cycle. The person managing the parking lot asked him to pay the fee. “I argued with him and did not pay him the fee as parking of cycle is free cost. To my utter dismay, when I returned after seeing the doctor, I found my cycle stolen. When I asked the parking in charge, he said he was not responsible as no parking fee was charged from him. I also lodged a complaint with the police chowki on the hospital premises. My cycle has not been traced so far,” he said. Many such complaints of thefts have been registered at the police chowki.

Another visitor to the hospital said the parking in-charge did not listen to any of visitors’ pleas. “The parking guy does not listen to anyone. He says the rates are fixed by the contractor and he cannot do anything about it. He keeps on charging GST on the parking fee, which is illegal,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senior Medical Officer, Dr Kulwinder Singh, said it was brought to his notice and he was aware of the problem. “The day I came to know about the GST being charged on the parking fee, I wrote to the higher authorities for further action,” he said.