SHILLONG: It is almost an accepted way of life in Meghalaya that no one gives a cash memo or a receipt for money paid unless you purchase stuff from established stores with computerized billing systems. In parking lots all over the city the parking attendants don’t think it is their duty to give every driver a receipt for parking. If anyone asks for a receipt they are looked at askance as if they are asking for something illegitimate.
On January 4 a car owner who parked his vehicle at the Laitumkhrah market parking lot run by the Shillong Municipal Board, asked for a receipt because he was asked to pay Rs 20 when he had parked for less than two hours. The attendant went back to another attendant and said that the car owner wanted a receipt. This second attendant fished out a crumpled old receipt from his pocket, changed the date from January 3 to January 4 and gave the receipt to the car owner who in turn reported the matter to this reporter.
What many car owners find offensive is the fact that they cannot make out who exactly the parking attendant is since they wear no uniform and neither do they issue receipts. The Laitumkhrah parking lot is infamous for not issuing receipts. So what happens to the money collected? Does it go to the coffers of the Shillong Municipal Board?
Speaking to The Shillong Times on the matter, Chief Executive Officer, Shillong Municipal Board, T Lyngwa said that people can lodge a complaint with the Board if the parking fee receipt is not issued to them.
“Complain to us and we will definitely take action,” Lyngwa said.
According to Lyngwa, there are two parking lots in Laitumkhrah both of which are operated by SMB and people have to pay Rs 10 per hour for light motor vehicles (private), Rs 5 for two wheelers, Rs 50 for light motor vehicle (commercial) and Rs 20 for local taxis for the first hour.
Except for two wheelers which have to pay Rs 5 for every additional hour, all others have to pay Rs 10 for every additional hour.
Lyngwa said that the Board earns a revenue of roughly Rs 7 lakh from both the parking lots annually.
Needless to say, cleanliness in all the parking lots of the city is hardly maintained. Most of them are next to garbage dumps and leaking water pipes.
When asked if there is need to upgrade existing parking lots and opening up more parking areas in the city due to the burgeoning traffic, Lyngwa said as of now there is no such proposal but the Board is aware of the problems of congestion in the city.
It may be mentioned that five parking lots in the city are maintained by Meghalaya Urban Development Authority while three are maintained by Shillong Municipal Board.
The question for the SMB is whether they believe in surprise checks and revenue generation or whether they have to wait for every aggrieved car owner to come to the SMB and file a complaint.
