Parking contractor owes Chandigarh MC Rs 6.76 crore in licence fee

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, December 21

Parking contractor Pashchatya Entertainment Private Limited, which operates 57 paid parking lots in the city, owes whopping Rs 6.76 crore licence fee to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

According to the civic body, licence fee of Rs 6,76,81,928, along with interest up to December 31, 2022 and challan amounting to Rs 6,18,000, is pending on part of this Zone-II licensee. However, there are no pending dues of Zone 1 contractor Ram Sundar Prasad Singh. This licensee has 32 paid parking lots.

The MC had allotted 89 (32 57) paid parking spaces in Zone I and Zone II on a licence fee basis through two e-tenders, initially for three years in 2020.

The three-year period of two zones is going to expire on January 31, 2023 and January 23, 2023, respectively. The period of licence is initially for three years and is extendable up to five years on a performance basis.

MC officials said the performance of the licensee of Zone II is not satisfactory as a huge amount on account of licence fee is pending against him. The Zone I licensee has submitted the consent for taking over the possession of Zone II for a period of six months or till the allotment of contract to a new contractor.

The MC is going to place the matter before the General House tomorrow to decide the matter further.

It has been proposed to grant extension of six months on increased licence fee or till allotment of contract to new contractor, whichever is earlier, to the licensee of Zone I.

It has also been proposed to hand over 57 paid parking areas to the licensee of Zone I for a period of six months on increased license fee or till allotment of new contract, whichever is earlier.

Extension in tenure of NFS kiosks sought

The MC House has also proposed extension in the tenure period of Night Food Street (NFS) Kiosk Nos. 1, 2 & 3, Sector 14. The kiosks were allotted to NVT Hospitality on the basis of highest bid. Now, the allotment tenure is going to expire on December 22, 2022. The firm said the kiosks were completely shut during the first Covid- induced lockdown i.e. March 21, 2020 to August 31, 2020. Most of the tenure went through the Covid period. As a result, the firm claimed to have incurred huge losses. As the situation has become normal now, the firm sought 12-month extension.

No dues of Zone 1 contractor

According to the civic body, licence fee of Rs 6,76,81,928, along with interest up to December 31, 2022, and challan amounting to Rs 6,18,000, is pending on part of this Zone-II licensee. However, there are no pending dues of Zone 1 contractor Ram Sundar Prasad Singh. This licensee has 32 paid parking lots.