Patna, Aug. 31: Decks have been cleared for the launch of pay-and-park system for vehicles and two-wheelers on the city’s roads.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) board gave the final nod to this proposal today.

The system would be implemented at 51 locations on 17 roads across the city, which would ensure parking of over 1,600 vehicles against at Rs 10 for the first hour and Rs 5 per for every additional hour.

“The proposal for pay-and-park system was approved by the empowered standing committee on August 6 and it got the final approval at today’s meeting.

“We would soon float tenders for selection of private agencies to look after the system across the city,” said a senior PMC official.

Shopkeepers in the city, however, got temporary respite as the PMC board deferred its decision on approving the compulsory municipal trade licence for shops and commercial establishments.

The board, however, approved the proposal for similar trade licences on fish and meat sellers in the municipal area. All such traders would have to pay Rs 2,000 to apply for the trade licence, while it would be given for free to street vendors.

“The proposal for imposing compulsory trade licence could not be approved today, as the board members demanded review of the proposal,” said Abha Lata, the councillor from ward number- 4.

The civic body recently drafted Municipal Corporation Licences Rules, 2013, in pursuance of Section 342 of the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007.

The licences for shopkeepers as well as poultry, meat and fish shops would be issued in pursuance of the newly formed rules.

Forty of the 72 ward councillors protested the proposal by claiming that it would lead to unnecessary financial burden on the shopkeepers.

“The shopkeepers are already paying taxes under Shopkeepers’ Establishment Rules of the labour resources department.

“Imposing the municipal trade licence would burden shopkeepers with double taxation for running the establishments,” said Dipak Kumar Chaurasiya, the councillor from ward number 2.

The board also sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for each ward for maintenance and repair of manhole and catchpits.

The Ganga riverfront development project also received a no-objection certificate from the PMC board today.

The project envisages development of 6.6-km-long and 15-foot-wide walkway along 27 ghats in Patna, which would be complemented with 500 benches, decorative lights, trees, lavatories and kiosks along the bank of the river Ganga.

The project would be executed by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation utilising funds to the tune of Rs 262 crore.

Apart from approval of the four proposals, the solid waste management project for the city continues to be stuck in limbo, as a proposal for approving the bid documents for procurement of equipment under the project was not even tabled in the meeting held today.

Former deputy mayor Vinay Kumar “Pappu” raised the issue of continuous delay in execution of the waste management project during today’s board meeting.