After failing to run Model Town’s multi-level parking due to faulty design, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has now decided to allow food court/cafeteria on its surface area. The Corporation, which had started the three-storeyed parking lot after an investment of nearly Rs 250 crore three years ago, has said that even after regular efforts it has failed to start the parking facility and has decided to generate revenue through commercial uses.
“North MCD has decided to grant licence on monthly licence fee basis for running an open air food court/cafeteria on the terrace of the multi-level underground parking as it is gathering dust since its opening. Socondly, there has been constant demand from the public to properly utilise this open space by providing some open air food court/cafeteria for party/meeting purposes and this demand has been endorsed by the Standing Committee and the local councillor,” said Mohan Bhardwaj, Chairman Standing Committee.
With approval of the proposal, the Corporation document revealed that in order to augment revenue of the cash-strapped agency, it has proposed to grant monthly basis licences for the period of three years with yearly enhancement of 10 per cent of the fee.
“Minimum Reserved License fee (MRLF) has been fixed at Rs 18 lakh and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) has been fixed Rs 54 lakh which is equivalent to three months’ MRLF. To grant licence, e-auction process will be followed,” said the document.
Notably, the faulty design of North MCD’s multi-level parking, instead of solving parking problems has reportedly been creating parking woes for vehicle owners as the design has created obstacles for vehicles to get entry into the parking premises. The Corporation, which had spent nearly Rs 250 crore including the cost of the land, on the entire project, has failed to deliver. Despite hiring a private consultant for the project design and allotting the tender to a private firm, faults surfaced on its construction and design on the very first day of its operation.
The failure of the North MCD in executing its ambitious parking project in a prime location has not only left shoppers, traders and the residents of the area in a spot of bother, but has also caused a loss of a whopping amount of Rs 250 crore to the Corporation’s exchequer. The three-storeyed facility, with a total area of over 4,498 sqm, was built at a cost of over Rs 25 crore excluding the land cost which is around Rs 200 crore and was designed to accommodate 110 cars and an equal number of two-wheelers.