Multi-level parking project hits wall

BHOPAL: Delay in the transfer of land near New Market from the state social justice department to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is delaying the development of multi-level parking at the city’s shopping hub, if the BMC officials are to be believed.
“The corporation has completed all necessary documentation for getting the land transferred from the social justice department.We are waiting for the department to complete the rest of documentation,” BMC commissioner Rajneesh Shrivastava said, adding, “Since all proceedings are carried out by the state government, it cannot be commented how much time it will take for the transfer of land.”
However, requesting anonymity, Bhopal Municipal Corporation officials said, “It is to our knowledge that the land will be transferred in a month to the corporation. After this, the construction of the six storey multi-level parking will begin here.”
The BMC has marked 2.5 acre of land of the social justice department for developing a multi-level parking for the convenience of New Market visitors.
“We needed a land close to the market so that visitors can easily walk to the market after parking vehicles,” Shrivastava said. “However, we may get the possession of the land by the month-end owing to administrative issues,” he added.
BMC officials said around 5,000 two and four-wheelers ply in and around New Market every day.
There are more than 1,000 small, medium and big shops in the area. Considering vehicular traffic, the shopping hub of the city has a limited existing parking space.
Currently, not more than 2,000 vehicles, including two and four-wheelers, can be parked in the marked parking areas officially marked by the BMC.
The proposed parking space can accommodate more than 3,000 vehicles at a time in an organized manner.