Army lifts parking ban on Kamaraj Road

Army lifts parking ban on Kamaraj Road

Staff Reporter
Warns of enforcing it again if the area is not maintained properly
Bangalore Commercial Association comes forward to maintain the area

Army had banned parking on the road since April 15

Bangalore: The Army authorities on Friday lifted the ban imposed on parking of vehicles on the western side of Kamaraj Road, near Commercial Street, after the Bangalore Commercial Association (BCA) came forward to maintain the area.

However, the Army authorities have made it clear that the ban on parking will be enforced again if the BCA failed to maintain the area as agreed upon.

The Headquarters of the Karnataka and Kerala Sub-area, to which the land belongs to, had banned parking since April 15 complaining that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had failed to prevent dumping of garbage, illegal collection of parking, urinating, illegal occupation by street-side vendors, and some illegal “shelter.”

According to a press release issued by the Defence authorities, “the apathy by the State officials and their procedural delays had forced the BCA to put across proposals to appease the Army authorities and abide by the conditions laid down by them.”

The release said the time-bound projects proposed by the BCA and supported by the BBMP had finally been accepted by the Karnataka and Kerala Sub-area officials and parking on Kamaraj Road had been recommenced giving much needed relief to the weekend shoppers.

The BCA, the release added, undertook to put up Bougainville plants with chain linked fencing on the sides, construction of toilet complex, appointing guards to evict vendors and squatters, etc.

However, the Army authorities have set a deadline of June 30, 2009 for the BCA — members of which are the shopkeepers around Commercial Street who are the beneficiaries of shoppers using this parking lot — to provide all these facilities. Colonel S. Kemparaj, Colonel General Staff of Headquarters, Karnataka and Kerala Sub-area, clarified that they would be compelled to re-impose ban on parking from July 1 if the BCA failed to keep up its promise.

Meanwhile, the BBMP officials said that they could not do much on maintaining parking as the land belong to the Army authorities and they would provide necessary support to the Army authorities and the BCA within the scope of rules.