The issue of corruption is constantly heating up the political atmosphere in Delhi. The latest in line is coming from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). While the AAP is embroiled in the alleged excise policy scam, one of its MLAs has alleged that the Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (MCD) parking service is surrounded by corruption.
Ever since the three municipal corporations merged into a unified corporation, the parking mafia has become active by constantly engaging itself in imposing its own terms on the parking service.
Attendants at the parking lots won’t give you a slip in the first place. And even if they do, they ask for Rs 40 to 80 for an hour while the rate fixed by the corporation is only Rs 20 per hour. Commuters constantly make written complaints against this loot, but no action has ever been taken in this matter.
Former leader of the Opposition from the AAP in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation Prem Chauhan went to a parking lot allotted by the corporation in the name of Cluster Parking Cemetery or Gupta Market in Saket to have a firsthand experience of the goings on in the parking lot. He was surprised when parking attendants there first refused to give the mandatory slip. When he insisted on the slip, he was handed one bearing no mention of the MCD even though the parking belonged to the civic agency.
He was told that as soon as he reached there, all the parking drivers fled the spot.
Making serious allegations of corruption against the MCD, the AAP leader demanded an inquiry into the parking service of the civic body. He said there are many parking lots where corruption is rampant with such illegal recovery being made with impunity. He alleged that at many places, signboards of parking have also been removed by the parking mafia.
Former Corporation Councilor (AAP) Triloki Chand said, “We were constantly getting complaints from people that illegal recovery of more than the amount fixed by the corporation is being made by the parking people. We complained about this to the officials of the corporation, but no action was taken. He said all this is happening with the connivance of the officials.
People who park their cars at the parking lot say it is not a matter of any one or two parking lots. There is not a single parking lot in the entire South Delhi where this kind of hoax is not going on. They tried to take up the matter with the officials of the corporation, but they flatly refused to talk to them.