Berhampur, March 19: Ashok Kumar Shukla, an Independent councillor from ward No. 3, hopes to come to office on his two-wheeler and face no parking problem, once the civic body develops a parking slot, exclusively for the 70 vehicles that it owns and those of its employees.

At present, only around 15 vehicles can be parked on the Berhampur Municipal Corporation premises.

“Lack of space for vehicles inside the corporation complex worries the public as well as the councillors. The corporation has 40 councillors. Just imagine the space crunch if all of them come to office in their own vehicles,” Shukla said.

The corporation’s executive engineer Asim Mishra said they planned to build a parking slot only for the civic body’s vehicles near Radhakanta Sahi on the road connecting Old Berhampur to Andhapasara Road.

“This parking slot will be only 2km from the corporation office. We have decided to accommodate all our vehicles there once it is constructed,” said Mishra.

The revenue department has allotted one acre to the corporation for the purpose.

As the land is a low-lying patch, it is now being filled with soil. It will take about three months for the parking space to get ready.

“We find it very difficult to park about 70 vehicles, most of which are heavy ones, on the office premises. The space crunch on the office premises becomes acute when VIPs visit the Berhampur Municipal Corporation or any meeting takes place here. Because of the space crunch, we are forced to keep most of our vehicles, including tractors, on the road in front of our office,” said Prabhakar Panigrahi, junior engineer (mechanical) of the corporation, who is in charge of the its vehicles.

The vehicles of the civic body include 18 tractors, three excavators, six dumper placer, five auto tripper, three mini truck, one water tanker, three trucks, five loader and one dresser, said Prabhakar Panigrahi.

“The tractors and other vehicles that lie parked on the road in front of the corporation often obstruct the movement of local students,” said Dinabandhu Patra, father of a girl studying at the nearby Government Girls’ High School.

The road always remains busy as there are many important offices, including that of the district inspector of schools, apart from Town police station, Siridi Sai temple and some motor garages.

“The corporation should not obstruct people’s movement by keeping its vehicles on the road,” he said.