'Overcharging' at multi-level parking lot in Ludhiana Mini Secretariat goes unchecked

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, January 20

Despite repeated complaints at the highest level by visitors to the Mini Secretariat over the alleged open loot at the multi-level paid parking, the contractor and his henchmen have refused to mend their ways and overcharging from public for parking of cars and two-wheelers continues without any fear of law or penal action for violating terms and conditions of the parking contract.

Official conducts raid

• Taking the increasing number of complaints from public about overcharging and other irregularities at the multi-level parking in Mini Secretariat here, the District Nazar, under instructions from the Deputy Commissioner, conducted a raid on the parking site on Wednesday.
• Several persons told the official that they had been issued handwritten parking slips and against Rs20 and Rs10 as parking fee for cars and two-wheelers, respectively, the attendants were charging Rs50 and Rs20.
• Display boards of parking fee were also found missing. The Nazar said he would submit his report to higher officials for further necessary action.

Taking note of regular instances of overcharging and highhandedness of attendants at the parking lot with those who object to paying more than the fixed parking fee (Rs 20 for car and Rs 10 for two-wheelers), Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) president HS Sachdeva has lodged a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner to draw his attention towards the parking woes of visitors to Mini Secretariat.

Sachdeva has alleged that almost in a matter of routine, people are being asked to shell out Rs 40 to Rs 50 for parking cars and Rs 20 for motorcycle/scooters, which is two to two and half time more than the parking fee fixed by the administration. “Even after given oral and written warnings (as claimed by the district officials), the parking contractor has not displayed the rate list and the attendants are reported to misbehave with those objecting to overcharging,” said the complaint.

Regular visitors to the district administrative complex assert that the parking contractor had hired some musclemen to intimidate people who raise their voice against overcharging and there have been some incidents where visitors were roughed up or smart phones of those trying to make video of the irregularities at the parking lot snatched.

Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat general secretary Dr SB Pandhi said he had also sent a written complaint and a video to the Deputy Commissioner in this regard and after the intervention of officials, a rate list of stipulated parking fee had recently been put up. “However, the issue of overcharging is still there and when complained of overcharging, the parking attendants try to get away with the excuse that those rates are meant for government vehicles, which is far from being true,” he said.

Both Sachdeva and Pandhi have urged the district administration to intervene into the matter immediately and take effective steps to make the parking contractor fall in line and save the public from being looted right under the nose of senior government officials.