The Indian Express              21.05.2013

Contractors overcharging, MC talks of e-parking slips

MC
Commissioner R K Verma on Monday said the civic body would work on
introducing a system of electronically generated slips by parking
contractors so that people were not overcharged.

The statement
came in the backdrop of parking contractors overcharging at various
places where parking lots are given on contract. One such incident came
to light on Sunday when city resident Harpreet Singh visited Guru Teg
Bahadur Charitable Hospital, Model Town, and was asked to pay Rs 20 for
parking his car.

However, the parking rates notified by the
hospital on its reception clearly specify Rs 10 as the rate. “I asked
parking guy why we should pay Rs 20 and he simply said that because it
is Sunday, rates are doubled. Nowhere the hospital has mentioned that on
Sundays we have to pay double. There is no such rule but just
overcharging being done by the contractor,” Singh said, alleging that
the parking employee also misbehaved.

When contacted, Dr R S
Sodhi, medical superintendent of the hospital, said, “The contractor was
given charge recently and if this incident is true then we will
terminate his contract immediately. First let us conduct an inquiry and
if found guilty, action will be taken.”

Similar complaints came from Feroze Gandhi Market.

On
condition of anonymity, a resident said, “The rate for parking a car is
Rs 20 but contractor takes Rs 25 and for a scooter, rate is Rs 10 but
Rs 15 are taken. When we ask the contractor, he terms it a part of
service tax. In MC contract, it is clearly mentioned that the contractor
will not recover service tax from people but this is what is going on
at the market.”

On March 22 this year, the MC had auctioned this
parking lot for Rs 1.90 crore to Krishna Lal and Sons, and the civic
body claimed that “there will be no harassment of people with rates
fixed at Rs 5 for cycle, Rs 10 for scooter and Rs 20 for car”.

The
contractor also allows illegal parking on roads near Nehru Sidhant
Kender just to mint extra money, alleged a shopkeeper from the market.

MC
commissioner R K Verma, when contacted, said, “Our officials will be
sent to the spot to probe and action will be taken against contractor.”