A traffic fine of Rs 500 that was being slapped for illegal parking of cars around markets in New Town does not have the approval of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamul state general secretary Kunal Ghosh tweeted on Thursday.
“The fine of Rs 500 that NKDA (Newtown Kolkata Development Authority) introduced in markets was misleading, objectionable and not in the public interest. Chief minister wasn’t aware,” Kunal tweeted in Bengali on Thursday afternoon.
“After learning about the harassment of the people, the fine has been withdrawn and scrapped under her instructions. Police have been informed,” he wrote.
Senior officers of the Bidhannagar police commissionerate said they have been collecting a fine of Rs 500 for almost six months to encourage people to use parking lots and leave the carriageway free to passing traffic.
“We are yet to receive any formal order about withdrawing the fine for illegal parking of vehicles. Hopefully, it will reach us by Friday,” a senior officer of the police commissionerate overseeing traffic movements said.
The NKDA runs 10 community markets in New Town. The township has 15 fee parking zones that charge Rs 20 an hour for cars and Rs 10 an hour for two-wheelers.
With a section of residents complaining about how they were often forced to pay the parking fee for a full hour even when they park for a few minutes to buy groceries or pick up their children from school, the NKDA decided on free parking in the parking zones for the first 30 minutes earlier this month.
Senior police officers said it did little as shoppers continued to park their cars in front of the block markets and malls — including Axis Mall and Central Mall — blocking the carriageway. “The imposition of a fine of Rs 500 was aimed at ensuring people don’t leave their cars in front of marketplaces and malls and opt for the parking lots instead,” the officer said.
“We hold regular meetings with the NKDA on all decisions about parking lots, their locations and even about the imposition of traffic fines.”
Senior NKDA officials said imposition and collection of fines was under the purview of the police and they were not involved in this process.
Debasis Sen, NKDA chairman, refused to comment.
“Recently the chief minister received several complaints about how police in New Town have been slapping a fine of Rs 500 on those who may have been waiting in a car to receive their children from a school bus or have parked to complete shopping around block markets,” Ghosh told The Telegraph.
“She checked with multiple sources and passed orders today. Irrespective of who decided to impose the fine, its collection has to stop immediately, she told the police.”
The NKDA is under the ministry of urban development and municipal affairs headed by Firhad Hakim.
The special secretary of the urban development department is one of the eight members of the NKDA development authority.
TMC leader shot at, beaten up
A Youth Trinamul leader was allegedly beaten up with sticks and rods after a shot fired at him missed the target in Ariadaha near Dakshineswar on Thursday afternoon, police said.
Aritra Ghosh has been admitted to a private hospital.
According to witnesses, Ghosh was riding a two-wheeler to his workplace when a group of men fired at him. After the bullet missed Ghosh, the group beat him up. Residents of the area rescued him.
“A gang comprising Jayant Singh and Raju Ghosh opened fire. The bullet missed my left leg and I fell from my motorcycle. The group then beat me up,” Ghosh told reporters on his way to the hospital.
“Raju is a businessman. We are trying to find out more about Jayant,” said a senior police officer.
