NAKODAR
The civic body has failed to create parking spaces keeping in view the increased vehicle pressure on roads, often forcing people to park vehicles along the roads leading to traffic chaos. Since there are no parking lots in the town, most of the visitors park their vehicles at Fawara Chowk near the Nakodar Nagar council office clogging three roads and leading to traffic snarls. Residents held municipal authorities responsible for not providing adequate parking, selling, and leasing prime land at throwaway prices. They blamed the civic authorities for gifting the land suitable for parking adjoining the Ambedkar Chowk to the Vishawkarma Trust in 2000.
The then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stone of Ramgarhia Hall on August 4, 2001, despite protests from residents against giving the land for a song.
A resident said the municipal council sold seven kanals of prime land on the hospital road to the telecom department in 1990.
Another resident alleged that the government land had been encroached upon which could have been used to create parking space. “Shops have been constructed on a six-kanal plot opposite the civil hospital forcing the residents to park their vehicles at the Fawara Chowk, said the resident.
Most residents believe that the army land measuring 11 kanals and 11 marals , which has been encroached upon by Shivala Mandir authorities, should be used for parking vehicles. They said that the Nakodar Nagar council should pay the army the market rent of the land.
The council had passed a resolution in 2000 to construct shops on this piece of land and to use it as a parking area.
Residents said the land was suited for parking purposes.