Plans listed under Smart City project still in limbo

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Avenue

Amritsar, February 1

The need for more parking space was felt by residents and the local administration years back and the civic body had started planning to provide new parking lots. The Centre had chosen the holy city under the Smart City project on September 20, 2016. The Amritsar Smart City Limited (ASCL) had proposed to develop two automated multi-storey parking lots. The automated parking projects were announced by the ASCL in 2017 and a tender was released for design, operation and maintenance for 10 years of the fully automated multi-level car parking facility at Kairon market on October 10, 2018.

The tender submission process for Kairon market is still in limbo even after five years of its announcement. The ASCL didn’t initiate the tendering process for the Machhi Mandi parking.

Apart from the ASCL, the civic body had proposed to develop new parking lots in the past but nothing has materialised till date. According to traffic experts, residents of the walled city area needed parking lots to accommodate 5,000 vehicles. Due to narrow streets and small houses, dwellers of the old city park their vehicles on the ring road or illegal private parking lots in major streets. They have to pay Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,500 per month. A large number of residents and traders park their vehicles in parking lots meant for visitors from other cities near the Golden Temple and bus stand.

The local politicians often claimed to provide parking space before the elections. In 2018, when the Municipal Corporation restricted the parking of four-wheelers at Hall Bazaar, the MC had proposed to develop the parking lot outside the Hall Gate.

A large chunk of government land is lying vacant outside the Hall Gate as the old Sabji Mandi had shifted to Vallah two decades back. Due to political incompetence, the local political leaders of Congress, SAD, BJP and AAP failed to develop parking on the land. Former Mayor Karmajit Rintu had announced the use of old Sabji Mandi land for parking but the proposal was not implemented.

As per the information, ownership of land is with Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) and the state government can take decisions about land use.

Advocate Kuljit Singh, a local activist, said, “The city needed at least five automated multi-storey parking lots. Instead of Kairon market, the ASCL should construct a multi-level parking on old Sabji Mandi land. The state government should take the initiative and construct the parking in stipulated time. Otherwise, traffic condition in the city would deteriorate. The parking space should be provided at nominal charges like in Chandigarh. If the parking contractor charges Rs 100, who will park the car in parking lot, he asked.