HindustanTimes 27.01.2010
Parking plan at Parade Ground hits roadblock
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) ambitious plan to construct multilevel parking lot at Parade Ground has hit a roadblock.
The proposed parking was supposed to provide a permanent solution to the parking woes in Walled City.
Shri Dharmik Ramlila Committee, who organises Ramlila at the grounds every year, has written a letter to the civic body protesting the move.
“We had received a letter from the Shri Dharmik Ramlila committee in which they have raised concerns over the parking. The committee feels that the parking will disrupt the Ramlila functions they hold at Parade Ground every year,” said Deep Mathur, director press and information, MCD.
“We are planning to hold a meeting with the committee members this week to sort out matter. Since the parking will be underground, it will not disrupt any kind of activity at the ground level,” he said.
“The Walled City is a commercial hub and the lack of any parking site here is a major problem. For years now, we have been given empty promises of a parking lot being constructed in the area, but nothing happened. And finally, when MCD has started groundwork for constructing the parking site at Parade Ground, the Ramlila Committee is opposing it,” said Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary of Chandni Chowk traders association.
MCD had zeroed in on Parade Ground after the underground multi-level parking lot they had to make at Shaheed Park hit a bump with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
ASI had refused to give permission, saying it was near two centrally-protected monuments Khooni Darwaaza and Ferozeshah Kotla ruins.
