All 89 parking lots in Chandigarh may go to lone contractor for six months

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, January 27

With the local Municipal Corporation refusing to extend the licence of the Zone II contractor for 57 parking lots over unpaid dues, the civic body now proposes to grant licence of all 89 paid parking lots in the city to the Zone I contractor for a period of six months on increased fee or till the time a new contract is allotted, whichever is earlier.

The three-year contract of Zone I contractor Ram Sundar Prasad Singh, licencee of 32 parking lots in the southern and eastern sectors, including 20, 26 and 34, comes to an end on January 31. There are no dues against the Zone-I contractor.

After the parking contract of the 57 lots, which was with Zone-II agency Pashchatya Entertainment Pvt Ltd, expired on January 23, these spaces in Sectors 7, 8, 9, 17, 22 and Sukhna Lake went free for public. Now, it has been proposed to give contract of these 57 lots as well as the 32 existing paid ones to the Zone-I licencee till a new arrangement is made. The agenda in this regard will be tabled at the Monday’s House meeting for consideration.

The MC had fixed charges of Rs 14 from four-wheelers and Rs 7 from two-wheelers in the paid parking spaces.

The MC had allotted 89 (32+57) paid parking spaces in Zones I and II on a licence fee basis through two e-tenders, initially for three years in 2020. The period of licence was extendable up to five years on a performance basis.

However, Rs 6,76,81,928 in licence fee, along with interest up to December 31, 2022, and challan amounting to Rs 6,18,000, is pending on part of the Zone-II licencee.

The MC plans FASTag-based system, besides a smart app, at all 89 facilities.

The Second Innings Association has filed a complaint with the UT Vigilance Department over unpaid dues by the Zone-II parking contractor.

Purohit to address House

In a rare event, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit will address the MC House on Monday. “Before starting this term, we wanted and thus requested him to give us his guidance and blessings. So, he has consented,” said newly elected Mayor Anup Gupta.