Though the roadside parking lots in the city are under the GMC, the
corporation had leased 40 of these parking lots last year. But even
after completion of the one-year term on March 31, lessees are charging
parking fee at various parking lots.

“After completion of the
one-year lease, the lessees should have stopped collecting the fee,
which was instead to be collected by the GMC from April 1. However, the
lessees are still collecting parking fee illegally,” said a GMC
official.

During the Rongali Bihu season, people in large
numbers visited the city and the lessees could, therefore, collect a
good amount of money. The lessees were able to make a huge profit only
due to the laziness of the enforcement officials of the GMC.

An
enforcement official of the GMC said they are searching for the
lessees, who are collecting parking fee illegally since April 1. After
TOI apprised the GMC about the illegal collection of parking fee, GMC
authorities assured to take a tough stand on the matter. Additional
commissioner of the GMC, Mukul Gogoi
told TOI that the GMC will issue an order asking the lessees to hand
over the money collected as parking fee from the public since April 1.
Gogoi said the GMC is going to reorganize the parking areas in the city.

“We want to bring down the number of parking lots in the city so that
the lessees can be made more accountable. The process to hand over 35
parking lots in the city to lessees is on,” he added.