Cuttack, Feb. 25: The civic body has decided to stress on development of basic facilities at the parking lots in the city.
The Cuttack Municipal Corporation will install signboards with parking rates at the parking lots within two weeks. It will also ensure that the parking areas are adequately lit.
A senior official of the civic body informed The Telegraph that they had formed a joint action squad to conduct surprise checks at the parking lots.
"If the operators are found collecting fees beyond the actual rates, their agreement will be cancelled," said the official.
The civic body has lately come across several complaints of parking site operators charging fees according to their will and flouting all guidelines.
"The corporation should create additional parking provisions near major markets as the exiting parking areas, particularly the ones near Buxi Bazar and Kanika Chhak, are not enough to accommodate the heavy turnout of people during evening hours," said Kishore Patnaik, a resident of Kanika Chhak.
In 2015, the municipal corporation had auctioned 21 parking lots and signed agreements with various companies for managing these facilties. A revenue of Rs 21 lakh was generated from the auction of parking lots last year.
The civic body earlier used to earn about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh every year from collection of parking fees. It auctioned the parking lots last year with a hope of generating 10 per cent to 20 per cent additional revenue.
The corporation is also planning to issue identity cards for the employees engaged in managing the parking lots. The corporation will also seek the assistance of police to put a check on the misutilisation of the parking lots.
Many parking areas have been turned into unauthorised vending zones as small-time traders are encroaching on the land allotted for these facilities.
The joint squad, led by police, yesterday removed squatters from Bajrakabati Road parking lot and decongested a 500-metre stretch between Bajrakabati and Palamandap.
"Roadside vendors had occupied the entire parking lot, setting up food joints and other kiosks on the stretch along the BSNL office at Bajrakabati Road," said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P.K. Dalai.
Cuttack's traffic management committee, which is headed by police commissioner Y.B. Khurania, on Tuesday decided to free various parking lots in the city from encroachments.
Apart from the one on Bajrakabati Road, parking lots at Ranihat, Kanika Chhak and Chandi Mandir Square also remain encroached upon by street vendors.
A senior official of the civic body said: "We have launched the anti-encroachment drive with the assistance of police following a high court order. The drive will continue for a month."
The squad also consists of officials of the Cuttack Development Authority, the electricity department and the regional transport authority.
