Parking fee rules: AAP slams SDMC
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp)-ruled south Delhi municipal corporation (SDMC) for changing the parking norms for malls and hospitals under its jurisdiction.
The civic body, as reported by HT on Tuesday, had allowed shopping malls under its jurisdiction to charge parking fees, a departure from its earlier policy where it had said that licenses of private malls and hospitals found charging parking fees will be cancelled. But the corporation withdrew its decision on Wednesday following stiff opposition from political parties and mall owners.
Questioning the intention of the civic body, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP wondered whether BJP leaders had struck a deal with owners of these commercial establishments.
“The Bjp-ruled SDMC and its Mayor are trying to rollback their own notification and have allowed malls to charge parking fees from visitors. Have BJP leaders become so greedy for money? Or have they struck a deal with the owners of malls?” AAP senior leader Dilip Pandey told reporters.
According to the SDMC’S parking policy, malls and hospitals under its jurisdiction cannot charge parking fee, as they have been allowed additional floor area. In August this year, the civic body had announced its decision not to renew licenses of establishments found violating the norm. But the civic agency, this week, allowed malls to charge fees from visitors citing difficulty in implementing its decision to not charge parking fee.
Pandey cited a February, 2018 order in which, he said, the Delhi High Court had termed the charging of parking fees in shopping complexes and hospitals of south Delhi illegal. “This is clearly a move to benefit own- ers of the malls. Otherwise why would the corporation go back on its own notification and violate court orders,” Pandey said.
The issue rocked the SDMC house on Tuesday when a group of AAP councillors disrupted proceedings. Under attack from Opposition parties, the BJP clarified that no decision had been taken on it yet. SDMC mayor Narendra Chawla said in the House meeting that no decision has been taken on the issue yet.
“Charging of parking fees at malls, hospitals and hotels is illegal until the civic body takes a final decision on the issue,” he said.
During the SDMC standing committee meeting on Monday, standing committee chairperson Shikha Rai had said officials are not able to implement the decision. But on Wednesday, she said there has been no change in norms.
“I have directed officials to make sure that the norm is not violated,” she said.