Ferozepur Road parking in jeopardy

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, August 28

The paid parking along Ferozepur Road (a national highway) from Sidhwan Canal to the erstwhile Octroi Post which was auctioned by the Municipal Corporation for Rs 56 lakh a couple of days ago, has run into trouble over the issue of ownership of the road.

The stretch of NH 95 (from Jagraon Bridge to Octroi post), passing through the city, was transferred to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) by the MC for construction of an Elevated Road from Samrala Chowk to the city limits on Ferozepur Road. Work on the 13-km project worth about Rs 770 crore has already commenced.

The firm, LRY Contractors, which had bagged the parking contract in the auction held on August 24, 2018, has refused to commence the paid parking along the NH 95 until the issue of ownership of the road was cleared.

“We have apprehensions that the NHAI, to whom the ownership of the stretch of road was transferred to facilitate construction of an elevated road, might raise objection to the auction of parking sites by the MC. Till we get a clear undertaking from the MC about its ownership, we shall not begin operations,” said Raju, owner of LRY Contractors.

He confirmed that as of now any further action on parking sites along Ferozepur Road had been put on hold. “We shall start paid parking only after the MC gives us in writing that the ownership of the road was still with it. Had we known about the transfer of the stretch of NH 95 (passing through the city) to the NHAI, we would not have offered any bid,” he said.