3 months gone after launch, no operator yet to run Sadar Bazar multilevel parking

Gurgaon: More than three months after chief minister Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated the multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility at Sadar Bazar, the MCG on Tuesday initiated the process to appoint a private agency for its operation and management.The selected agency will be responsible for parking management and fee collection, comprehensive facility management services, and the operation and maintenance of all installed systems along with their annual maintenance contracts (AMC), as well as the overall upkeep of the premises, supply of consumables, deployment of manpower, and payment of utility charges.The civic body spent Rs 54.6 crore on the construction of the parking hub. The delay in appointing an operator has sparked concerns over planning and execution, especially for a project positioned as a solution to Sadar Bazar’s chronic traffic and parking woes.“While the tenders were floated twice earlier, none of the applicants met the eligibility criteria required for selection,” said an MCG official.The move raises questions over why a key urban infrastructure project, aimed at easing congestion in one of the city’s busiest markets, remained without a full-fledged operational framework months after its launch.The project was originally scheduled to be completed in Dec 2021. The structure comprises three basement levels along with a ground floor and six upper floors, accommodating 294 equivalent car spaces (ECS). The facility is equipped with 29 mechanical stack parking systems installed in the third basement, along with dedicated electric vehicle infrastructure, including 10 charging points each for cars and two-wheelers.The stalled parking facility is not an isolated case but part of a wider pattern across Haryana. Across the state, of 737 projects announced by the CM in the last few years, 148 are still unfinished. This includes 72 classified as pending and 76 listed as in progress, putting the overall non-completion rate at about 20.1%.