BMP parking fee muddle

BMP parking fee muddle
Deccan Herald

In an interesting development, Mayor Mumtaz Begum has alleged that some senior officials were trying to tarnish her image and have reintroduced paid parking without getting the approval of the BMP council.

Late on Thursday, the Mayor claimed that the officials, with the knowledge of the Commissioner and the Additional Commissioner, had issued the contracts on paid parking in Broadway road and the road opposite the Russel Market in her own ward-- Shivajinagar--last month.

“They (the officials) did not even take the council’s approval nor even inform us” the mayor said. ‘’We will take the matter to the government,’’ she declared.

She claimed that following complaints, she inspected the two roads on Wednesday and found that a person, who was collecting the fee, was in possession of proofs like permission letter and the sketch of the parking lot issued by the BMP.

“I enquired with the Commissioner today (Thursday). He denied having given any such permission and promised to take action against those responsible for it. But later, I called for the files; I found that the contract letter has been signed by the commissioner, the additional commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (Markets) and Assistant Revenue Officer (Markets)”, the Mayor claimed.

Back in April

On March 24, after the BMP budget proposals were presented, Commissioner K Jothiramalingam had said that paid parking would be back in April. The government had rejected BMP’s fee-free parking proposal and the government’s response was recorded before the BMP council too as such the government’s decision stands as final until notified otherwise, he had explained.

Later, on April 3, the BMP council said the matter would be thrashed out in 20 days at the level of an all-party committee. Incidentally, the said committee was set up only on Thursday.

The committee is headed by Mayor Mumtaz Begum. The members are Deputy Mayor Lakshminarayana, ruling Congress’ leader H Ravindra, BJP leader H Basavaraju, corporators Syed Jaleel Ahmed and H Venkatesh. Council Secretary Athik Ahmed is the member secretary.