WILL GO TO LG IF NDMC TAKES OVER PARKING: KHAN MARKET TRADERS

NEW DELHI: Khan Market traders on Friday said they might soon move the Lieutenant-governor’s office against the New Delhi Municipal Council’s ( NDMC) decision to take over the parking in Khan Market.

The traders association has locked horns with NDMC over the issue of the civic body taking over the ‘free’ parking.

Khan Market Traders Association president Sanjeev Mehra told HT that they met council officials over the issue but a decision is awaited. “We have submitted all necessary documents... Now we are awaiting their reply. Our demand is simple: Complete the proposed underground parking lot and then remove these surface lot. Nothing has happened on that. If the NDMC still insists on taking control, we will approach the L-G’S office,” Mehra said.

Last week, on Wednesday, Khan Market traders association had shut shops in protest after the council directed its staff to manage the parking. The NDMC had said the decision to take over the parking lot has come after the association failed to pay licence fee arrears of nearly ₹3.5 crore.

The dispute on the parking lot is not new. In 2011, Delhi High Court asked the Khan Market Traders’ Association to pay a monthly licence fee of ₹5.34 lakh to the New Delhi Municipal Council to ensure that parking continues to remain free. This money was levied in lieu of the revenue loss suffered by the civic agency due to free parking.

Council officials, however, say the traders stopped payment after 2.5 years.

“Till date, ₹3.5 crore is outstanding. A notice was issued 4-5 months ago to the traders but the reply wasn’t satisfactory. A fortnight ago, we sent our staff and took over the lots. However, they asked for some time. Last Wednesday, we did it again. The process (of NDMC taking over) has been delayed. A decision will be taken soon but they can’t continue to operate a parking on government land without paying for it,” a senior council official told HT.