Steep parking price hike irks residents of Cuttack metropolis

By Express News Service

CUTTACK: Steep hike in parking charges for two-wheelers and four-wheelers for the upcoming Baliyatra has led to widespread discontentment amongst locals. While the district administration has been organising consciousness programmes to extend the footfall on the greatest commerce truthful of the state, a 70 per cent hike in parking charges may dissuade folks from visiting the truthful. Many folks go to the week-long pageant a number of occasions in every week and the hike in parking charges will emerge as a constraint. 

“We used to visit Baliyatra at least three to five times but are now worried over the exorbitant parking fees levied by authorities of Cuttack Municipal Corporation. The historic festival seems to have become a means to generate revenue for the civic body. Why should we visit the fair by paying exorbitant parking fees?,” questioned some youths. They stated guests are additionally required to pay Rs 5 further for buying meals and drinks packed in plastic, polythene or tin containers resulting from implementation of deposit refund system (DRS) by the civic physique. 

Sources stated the CMC which has recognized and auctioned as many as 21 parking locations across the truthful venue is eyeing to generate income of round Rs 1.5 crore. While the price for two-wheeler parking has been mounted at Rs 50, it’s Rs 100 for four-wheelers and Rs 150 for six-wheeler automobiles. 

Two years again, the parking price was Rs 30 per two-wheeler and Rs 50 per four-wheeler. While collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani refused to touch upon the difficulty saying the administration of the truthful is being dealt with by the civic physique, CMC mayor Subhas Singh stated parking charges weren’t mounted earlier.    

“The civic body will spend Rs 10 crore on infrastructure development to make festival more attractive. How will we be able to manage? While the chief minister has assured to provide Rs 6 crore for the fair, we are trying to generate revenues of Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 crore from parking and advertisement,” stated Singh.    

CUTTACK: Steep hike in parking charges for two-wheelers and four-wheelers for the upcoming Baliyatra has led to widespread discontentment amongst locals. While the district administration has been organising consciousness programmes to extend the footfall on the greatest commerce truthful of the state, a 70 per cent hike in parking charges may dissuade folks from visiting the truthful. Many folks go to the week-long pageant a number of occasions in every week and the hike in parking charges will emerge as a constraint. 

“We used to visit Baliyatra at least three to five times but are now worried over the exorbitant parking fees levied by authorities of Cuttack Municipal Corporation. The historic festival seems to have become a means to generate revenue for the civic body. Why should we visit the fair by paying exorbitant parking fees?,” questioned some youths. They stated guests are additionally required to pay Rs 5 further for buying meals and drinks packed in plastic, polythene or tin containers resulting from implementation of deposit refund system (DRS) by the civic physique. 

Sources stated the CMC which has recognized and auctioned as many as 21 parking locations across the truthful venue is eyeing to generate income of round Rs 1.5 crore. While the price for two-wheeler parking has been mounted at Rs 50, it’s Rs 100 for four-wheelers and Rs 150 for six-wheeler automobiles. 

Two years again, the parking price was Rs 30 per two-wheeler and Rs 50 per four-wheeler. While collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani refused to touch upon the difficulty saying the administration of the truthful is being dealt with by the civic physique, CMC mayor Subhas Singh stated parking charges weren’t mounted earlier.    

“The civic body will spend Rs 10 crore on infrastructure development to make festival more attractive. How will we be able to manage? While the chief minister has assured to provide Rs 6 crore for the fair, we are trying to generate revenues of Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 crore from parking and advertisement,” stated Singh.