Landowners near Mullanpur stadium cash in on IPL craze

“If an opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”. This has been the mantra for those who own land in the vicinity of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh (previously known as Mullanpur) where Indian Premier League (IPL) matches are being played this summer. While the vacant land surrounding the stadium has failed to attract investors, owners have begun to make a quick buck by converting the space into temporary parking lots.

Notably, the home team had earlier this month announced paid parking for fans — Rs 200 for a four-wheeler and Rs 100 for a two-wheeler. Three general public parking lots (P4, P5 and P6) were developed for the purpose.

However, the land owners are cashing in on the high footfall. Posters and employees ‘handing out’ directions to private parking lots are now a common sight near the stadium. The parking fee ranges from Rs 250 to Rs 350 based on the distance from the venue.

The stadium, which can accommodate around 38,000 spectators, has parking space for a certain number of vehicles. Due to security concerns, no vehicle is allowed to reach the venue barring the ones receiving a clearance from the PCA or the Punjab Police. In order to accommodate the rush, the organisers have leased out nearby fields and converted them into parking lots.

“The closer you go to the stadium, the more expensive the parking fee will be. We have the best space available, and after the match you won’t even get stuck in a traffic jam,” said an employee guiding the vehicles off the main road towards a private parking lot.

Such lots came up on both sides of the road leading to the stadium today.

“It’s better to park a vehicle a little far from the stadium and walk towards the arena. It’s an easy way to avoid snarl-ups after the match. In addition, it’s cheap in comparison to the fee charged at parking lots near the stadium,” said Ankush Aggarwal, a spectator.

Last year, when the stadium hosted IPL matches for the first time, the spectators had a tough time parking their vehicles and reaching the venue.

“Parking of vehicles is still a huge concern here. The parking lots are uneven and poorly maintained. Though lights have been installed to help the parking users at night, the uneven surface is a matter of concern. Also, after the match, no employee stays back to manage the rush of vehicles,” said Gaurav Singh, another spectator.