Hurdles in exchange of Army land delay key parking project in Solan

Seventeen years after conceiving a key parking project on the old bus stand in Solan city, the plan has failed to take off due to non-exchange of the defence land.

Inordinate delay on part of the defence authorities to part with the 2,309 sqm of the land even years after 3,451 sqm of the civil land was transferred to them years ago has landed the project in a limbo.

Several rounds of talks have taken place between defence officials and the civil authorities, but the issue has remained unresolved. The defence authorities did not give possession of the land to the civic body though its mutation was executed in favour of the latter years ago.

The need to create new parking lots has become imminent as there has been an exponential growth in the number of vehicles in the city owing to a 12 per cent rise in the population during the last decade.

The absence of adequate parking manifests in the increasing number of monetary challans issued by the police for idle parking.

Figures secured from the Police Department reveal that this year till August 31, as many as 13,265 challans were issued and a penalty of Rs 5.14 lakh imposed on violators. Challans issued for idle parking far outnumber those issued for other offences like drunken driving, using cellphone while driving and driving without requisite documents which are merely 15.74 per cent of the total violations. These offences attracted 2,088 challans for which the residents shelled out Rs 6.14 lakh penalty.

The lion’s share of the police challans comprise those for idle parking reflecting how absence of parking has become a bane for the vehicle owners and a money spinner for the Police Department.

However, what’s worrisome is the fact that instead of using this fund for making parking lots, the amount is simply credited to the state exchequer.

When quizzed, Ekta Kapta, Commissioner, Solan MC, said, “Efforts are afoot to secure exchange of the Army land with the defence estate officer in Ambala. They are persistently pursuing it at the highest level.”

She said while a key parking project for 200 vehicles was nearly complete on the railway road, a smaller parking for around 20 vehicles was created at the Saproon bypass. It would soon be put for auction.

This move to pursue smaller parking projects is aimed at facilitating residents wherever a vehicle influx is registered.