BBMP clueless, parking mafia steals Rs 300 crore yearly

Across Bengaluru, there are an estimated 203 locations where the BBMP, Bengaluru's governing municipal body, can earn large fees via parking charges. That income, however, seems to be mostly ending up in the hands of a parking mafia. The BBMP only gets Rs 30-40 crore annually, while the actual potential is close to Rs 300 crore.

 

NR Ramesh, an RTI activist told Asianet Newsable: “When it comes to parking collection, the BBMP has nine very big places, 113 big and 81 small and medium places. The monthly collection from these places may come up to Rs 25 crore. But the local corporators, MLAs and certain rowdy elements control the parking operations and hence the money is lost to the BBMP.”

 

 

Asianet Newsable went to Bengaluru's City Market (also known as KR Market) parking lot, where over 200 cars and about 300 two-wheelers can be parked at a time. And it was surprisingly easy to discover how contractors were bypassing the BBMP. As was observed, the mafia allowed vehicles to be parked outside the main parking premises, near the gates. However, they still charged those vehicles like the others, who park within the permitted area.

 

"Rs 10 is charged for two-wheelers and Rs 40 for four-wheelers for every two hours. But there is an extra amount charged, and that is not shown (in the receipts). Workers are seen selling parking tickets outside the market. About Rs 25,000 per day is lost as BBMP contractors allow parking near the gates," said Asif Pasha of the Sagar Welfare Association, KR Market.

 

 

GM Diwakar, President, Flower Merchant Association of KR Market, seconded Pasha’s observation and added that despite several complaints about the revenue leakage from KR Market, the BBMP's market division has done nothing.

 

"The parking mafia in KR Market is very strong and a lot of invisible hands are involved, which ensure no cases and inquiry is taken up. The people who take up the contract at the gates have a strong criminal or at least notorious backgrounds. They have connections in high places. In fact, there is a rivalry that exists, which often ends up in gang wars. So far about four murders have taken place just to bag the contract for the gates near the KR Market. The goods vehicles that come have to pay entry and that is big money," said a source.

 

Others we spoke to further added that all the members involved in the parking mafia are linked to public representatives, which only highlights the extent of the corruption involved.

 

 

MK Gunashekhar, Standing Committee, Chairperson for Tax and Finance in the BBMP, has accepted that the issue of revenue loss from parking has come to his attention. In order to address the issue, he said he would be calling a meeting to decide on inviting fresh tenders for on-road and off-road parking areas.

 

On being asked what specifically the BBMP was doing to tackle this menace, he only added, "The Delhi model and few others are being taken up for study in order to bring a new parking policy. The BBMP will soon come up with new parking rates at 80 places and the modalities will be discussed next week. The BBMP will break any vicious nexus that comes in its way in collecting revenue."

 

Whether it does so nor not, only time can tell. 

 

Bengaluru Watch are a series of stories by Asianet Newsable, telling you the stories from Bengaluru you need to know - the true face of the city.

 

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