Udaipur. These days, in Udaipur, the city of lakes, the general public is extremely angry with the functioning and arbitrary decisions of the Municipal Corporation. In the dense and narrow residential areas of the city, where people do not have space in their homes to park their personal vehicles, people are forced to resort to the monthly parking system of the Municipal Corporation. Till now people were paying ₹ 1200 per month to the corporation in exchange for this inconvenience. But the corporation administration, crossing all limits of insensitivity, has directly increased this fee to ₹ 3000 per month. That means a huge increase of two and a half times (more than double)! After this Tughlaqi decision, there is deep anger among the public and it is natural to raise the question whether in a democratic system the main job of the Municipal Corporation is to provide basic facilities to the citizens or to fill the government treasury by charging huge amount on everything? Actually, the contract system is involved in this. The corporation gave the parking contract to the person paying higher rates, but did not fix the rates in public interest. Now the contractor will also fulfill the amount paid to the corporation by increasing the parking rates.
The pattern of dual policy of the corporation does not end here:
Extortion in the name of passing the map: When the city residents go to the corporation to get permission (map pass) for the construction of their house, a huge amount is already collected from them by the corporation officials in the name of ‘parking fee’ citing lack of parking space.
Tax again in the name of parking: Despite charging a good amount of money while passing the map, the corporation is failing to provide free or concessional parking to the city residents. Now an illegal collection of ₹ 3000 is being made every month from the same public.
Red tape of officials and ‘Popa Bai’s rule’
Admittedly, there had been no revision or increase in parking rates in Udaipur for a long time and a minor change over time would have been acceptable. But increasing the rates by two and a half times in one go cannot be justified by any logic or justice. If this is not called bureaucracy and ‘Popa Bai’s rule’ then what else can we call it? Where there is a blind race to increase revenue by keeping rules and public interest aside.
A serious question: Why is the Municipal Corporation, which spent lakhs in the name of parking fund while building houses, today forcing the same people to park their vehicles on the roadside? And if someone chooses corporation parking, why this monthly ‘fine’ of ₹3000?
Questions raised on the silence of the public representatives: The most disappointing role in this entire matter has been that of the local public representatives, who are elected through public votes and are sitting on the chairs but are maintaining silence on this open loot. There is a strong need to immediately reconsider this dictatorial attitude and inhumane policy of the officials. If this increased amount is not refunded or reduced in time, then this anger of the people of Udaipur can take the form of a big public movement against the corporation.
Terming this unexpected increase in parking fees as completely unjust and arbitrary, senior advocate Ashok Singhvi has raised serious questions on the policy thinking of the Municipal Corporation. Reminding the corporation administration of its basic duties, he said – “The primary and constitutional responsibility of autonomous institutions like the Municipal Corporation is to provide basic facilities and amenities to the public, and not to run the business of ‘extortion’ by increasing the charges wildly. Technically and practically, the role of the corporation should be like that of a public welfare NGO, which becomes the mirror of the service-oriented face of the government and makes this beautiful city accessible and livable for the citizens. City).
This statement of Advocate Singhvi clearly makes it clear that directly extorting two and a half times the amount in the name of parking cannot be justified on any legal or moral criteria. The corporation cannot make up for its administrative failures and revenue losses by robbing the common public.
Read this also – Click to read the news of your state/city before the newspaper.
