Ranchi Municipal Corporation lifts parking charges till Dussehra

RANCHI: City's municipal corporation has decided not to charge parking fees (Rs 10-Rs 40 from the initial five minutes) from people, without burning a hole in their pockets, while they spend time in a puja pandal.

Pandal hoppers can now park their vehicles without paying a high parking fee in areas like Mahatma Gandhi road, Albert Ekka Chowk, Old Taxi Stand, Daily Market.

"If pandal hoppers violate the corporation's norm by parking in the middle of the road or near puja pandals, their vehicles will be seized and kept in nearest police stations," Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayavargiya, said.

He added that the arrangement will remain effective till Dussehra.

"We have also completely banned unauthorized people who collect parking fee but are not associated with the civic body. This new arrangement will bring relief to pandal hoppers," he said.

Further elaborating on the decision taken by civic body for hassle free celebration, Vijayvarghiya added that ward councillors had raised the issue of high parking fees during the September 20 board meeting.

The RMC board took the matter seriously and decided to waive the fee during the festive days. Maximum number of puja pandals are constructed on the road sides and people, after parking their vehicles, take a lot of time to visit the pandals for which they have to pay a high parking fee.

Waiving of the parking fees will come as a blessing to them," the deputy mayor said.