Social activist writes to civic body on ‘parking mafia’ thriving in city

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, October 9

A city resident and social activist Sanjay Sehgal has complained to the Municipal Corporation about the exorbitant fee being collected by parking mafia across the city and failure of the civic body to disclose public information about the fees being collected. Sehgal has complained to the Municipal Commissioner saying these contractors were unauthorised and sought details of parking revenue collection as well as action taken report on the illegal parking lots.

Sehgal also highlighted several well-known malls, bazaars, buildings and places in Jalandhar (which are known as traffic bottlenecks) where such parking fees, he alleged, are being pocketed illegally.

In his submission to the MC Commissioner on Sunday, Sehgal wrote, “This is a complaint against officials who did not disclose everything and have not uploaded details of allotted parking sites on the official website of MC which is mandatory. There are complaints and reports that parking contractors have not displayed any notice board at (parking) sites and are overcharging from the public. They have illegally authorised food vendors at parking sites and are collecting monthly charges from them. No electronic parking slip is being given, nor GST is being paid. Officials should upload all details on the website under sections ‘Paid Parking’ and ‘Free Parking Area’ of the Municipal Corporation. Many parking areas in the city are misused and illegal collection is being done by the mafia and the booty distributed among the civic body staff. Everything should be uploaded on the website with transparency about allotment of paid parking sites through e-tender.”

The complaint seeks details of the “parking area in size being given to contractors, parking fees which can be collected by them, notice board displays with details mentioning the charges for parking vehicles, name and contact number of parking contractors and MC officials, advertisement rights given to parking contractors and whether MC has given rights to contractors to sub-lease parking space to food vendors.”

Giving names of key areas, details like MC revenue from the site has also been sought for places which include — Opposite AM PM, Model Town, Opposite MBD Mall, Outside Tehsil Complex, Opposite Prime Tower, Opposite Capital Bank, Opposite Vasal Tower, Opposite President Hotel, Opposite Midland Financial Building and other areas for how much duration the parking site has been allotted by MC and how much revenue the MC is getting annually.

The complaint states, “Kindly initiate stern action against the illegal parking mafia who are charging parking fees from public without getting tender and contract from MC. Kindly take legal action and lodge police complaint against contractors collecting money outside Tehsil Complex.”

Sehgal has also sought an ‘action taken report’ on his complaint.

MC Commissioner, Jalandhar, Rishi Pal Singh said, “The issue in in our notice. We will go through the issue and look at the depth and magnitude of the problem.”