he Smart City parking project has been further delayed as the contractor is unwilling to start operation of the parking spaces.
The contractor concerned has sought a three-year extension in the contract period from the Nashik Municipal Smart City Development Corporation Ltd (NMSCDCL) due to Covid pandemic even though the latter has given a 15-month extension.
Smart city CEO Sumant More said they have invited the contractor for talks on the issue and will soon take a call on the issue. The contractor had started parking spaces at 22 location from March 4, 2020, and had received good response.
But the NMSCDCL had to stop the parking spaces in the second half of March due to lockdown imposed after the outbreak of Covid-19. The smart city body had fixed the parking rate at Rs 10 per hour for four-wheelers and Rs 5 per hour for two-wheelers.
The contractor has spent Rs 25 crore on the parking project. Earlier, apart from extension in the contract period, the contractor had also sought the smart city company for a waiver on royalty to the civic body. The private agency concerned had to pay royalty of Rs 17.5 lakh per month to the civic body.
During a board meeting of the smart city held in July, the board of directors had turned down the demand of the contractor for waiver of royalty, but gave a 15-month extension in the contract period.
Thereafter, the NMSCDCL had asked the contractor to start the pay-and-park at all the 22 parking spaces from the first half of August, but it did not happen. On the contrary, the contractor urged the smart city company to at least extend the contract period up to three years instead of only 15 months.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Tushar Pawar
Quelle/Source: The Times of India, 13.10.2021
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