The Times of India                  12.03.2013

JMC ‘churns’ out parking plans despite poor show

JAIPUR: Despite having failed to implement its earlier parking projects successfully in the city, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has embarked on a new multi-level parking project on JLN Marg.

Two major parking projects out of three proposed in the recent past
crashed without taking off, while work for proposed parking near Ashok
Nagar continues to move at snail’s pace.

However, putting the
past behind and looking ahead to a bright start, last week the JMC had
invited tenders to appoint consultants to prepare the design of a
multi-level parking near World Trade Park, Malviya Nagar. The technical
and financial tenders for the project will be opened on April 2 and 8
respectively.

BJP councilor Samunder Singh said, “So far, the
parking planning done by the corporation is only paper work. It took at
least three years to make change in designs at Ashok Nagar parking. In
such a scenario, public money should not be wasted on new projects.” He
added, “When the JMC failed to construct the Ramleela parking project,
it was handed over to the JDA. The corporation should have completed
existing project before initiating the new ones.”

Three major
parking projects worth over Rs 160 crore were inaugurated in the city in
April 2011 with an aim to provide parking facilities to around 3,000
vehicles. The three projects are a 2,000-vehicle capacity underground
parking at the Ramleela Ground, a 500-vehicle parking at Ashok Marg
culvert and another 500-vehicle parking near Panch Batti.

Sources claimed the work order given to the company was cancelled and
the project was delayed. Till date, the tender process for Panch Batti
has not been completed.

Explaining the reason, why projects
were delayed the official said, the company denied taking possession of
the parking land as contractors have been demanding that Ramleela Ground
and the area near Mall-21, where the parking lots will be built, should
be declared as no-parking zones. The demand is aimed at ensuring that
contractors gain monopoly in these areas and can thus charge more money
from parking.

The JMC refused to fulfil this demand as it was
not a part of the terms and conditions mentioned in the tender. The
corporation remained adamant that the developers had to work according
to the conditions mentioned.