HC Pulls Up North MCD for Delaying Gandhi Maidan Parking Project

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court today took the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to task for sitting over a Rs 445-crore multi-level parking project at the Gandhi Maidan in Chandni Chowk area.

The court pulled up the NDMC for taking the work in a "casual" manner and said it was "totally frustrating".

When the court was informed that the process was stuck as the tenure of a standing committee, before which the bid to finalise the project has to be placed, expired in April and a new one was yet to be constituted, it said why the next committee was not formed in time.

A bench of justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta directed the North MCD commissioner to place all its order passed in relation to Gandhi Maidan parking before the mayor who shall positively constitute the standing committee in 10 days.

It said if the process required convening the House, it shall be done on priority to minimise huge losses due to delays everyday.

The bench said in case of any delay by the standing committee in finalising the bid, it will seek an explanation from the civic body's commissioner and the mayor.

"It is late by five years. If they are so casual, we are going to call the mayor here. Who will pay for the loss of money. You are not even able to constitute a standing committee," it said and listed the matter for May 31.

Advocate Sanjeev Ralli, appearing for the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, said when the corporation knew that the deadline was in April, why it did not do anything about the project earlier.

Currently, the Gandhi Maidan parking, situated adjacent to the Chandni Chowk Metro Station, can accommodate 650 cars. As per the proposal, the new structure will have six levels, including three underground floors. One floor will be reserved for commercial activities. This will create additional parking space for more than 2,500 cars.

The court was hearing PILs filed by an NGO, Manushi Sangathan, and others in 2007 on the issue of redevelopment of the Chandni Chowk area and creation of lanes for non-motorised vehicles (NMV).

In the matter, the court has passed a slew of directions to decongest the area by ordering registration of cycle-rickshaws plying there, construction of a parking lot at Gandhi Maidan for private vehicles, a bus depot at Dangal Maidan near Old Delhi Railway Station and creation of NMV lanes.

All these projects are part of the main plan to re-develop Chandni Chowk and it is being actively monitored by the high court.

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