Parking fee: 23 private hospitals, 11 malls get notice
Leader of the standing committee in SDMC, Bhupendra Gupta, said such malls and hospitals have been asked to specify why action should not be taken against them.
3 min read
Most malls and hospitals cannot charge parking fee, as they were allowed additional floor area with a rider that they will allow free parking in their basements.
Eleven malls and 23 private hospitals under the jurisdiction of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation are charging parking fee, according to an internal report prepared by the civic body and accessed by The Indian Express.
The SDMC has issued notices to all such malls and hospitals to stop collecting parking fee, failing which sealing action will be initiated against them under the DMC Act — which gives powers to the civic body to seal a portion of any building where illegal activity is being carried out.
Most malls and hospitals cannot charge parking fee, as they were allowed additional floor area with a rider that they will allow free parking in their basements. The report also states that several other malls and hospitals under the DDA’s jurisdiction are charging parking fee.
The reports states that under SDMC’s jurisdiction, two malls in west zone, four in central zone and five in south zone are charging parking fee, while four hospitals in west zone, 12 in central, six in south and one in Najafgarh zone are charging parking fee. The list includes names of prominent hospitals in Moolchand, Jasola, Okhla, Punjabi Bagh, Vikaspuri and Janakpuri, as well as posh malls in South Extension, Okhla and Tilak Nagar.
“During the survey, it was found that while some of the malls and hospitals were charging around Rs 10-20, others were charging as high as Rs 200,” a senior SDMC official said.
Leader of the standing committee in SDMC, Bhupendra Gupta, said such malls and hospitals have been asked to specify why action should not be taken against them. If they cannot explain, their basement could be sealed, he said. “We will conduct regular inspections this week of malls and hospitals,” he said.
Gupta had recently conducted an inspection at Lajpat Nagar’s TDI Mall and found several violations, following which the underground parking was sealed. “Some malls and hospitals said they charge fee because they have to pay guards and staff who look after cars. But in some cases, they were charging very high amounts — up to Rs 100. We will first take action against those who charge high amounts, and then against smaller players,” he said.
Leader of the Congress in south corporation, Abhishek Dutt, said, “Why are we not taking action when it is clear that most malls and hospitals illegally charge parking fee?” While the issue has been raised in several SDMC meetings, a concrete solution is yet to emerge. In December 2016, the SDMC commissioner had issued a notice directing malls, office complexes and hospitals not to charge parking fee. It was again raised in March 2017, and malls were warned that they would be sealed if they don’t comply.
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