Mumbai: BMC leaves parking planners, experts in the lurch

Despite the government's appeal to not cut salaries or lay off staff during the pandemic, urban planners and experts of the Mumbai Parking Authority (MPA) have not received payments from the civic body since May. Amid the COVID-19-caused lockdown, they were told that their work has been put on hold until further notice.

The MPA, constituted last year as an independent body to resolve the city's parking woes, comprises 15 urban planners and three experts, and is currently being headed by RERA chairman and retired IAS officer Gautam Chatterjee. Members said that they worked from home till March 23, after which work was suspended.

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"We had completed the research and were supposed to start site inspections. However, Traffic Department officials said that fieldwork is too risky. We don't know if the work will start any time soon," said an urban planner.

The planners are part of the All India Institute of Local Self Government and as part of the MPA, they had been receiving salaries from the civic body. Many have returned to their hometowns amid no salaries. "After waiting till July, we all returned home. In the middle of a pandemic, we can't even apply for other jobs. We expected the BMC to at least give us some details so that we can plan ahead," said another planner.

'Need trains for site inspections'

Officials in the Traffic Department said that their contract had been extended till July and the extension has to be approved by the standing committee. "They needed to carry out site inspections and since local trains are not open to the public, we asked them to go on temporary leave. We will put up a proposal to renew their contracts, but their work can only begin after local trains resume service again," said the official.

The payment issue is not restricted to urban planners. Transport experts too have complained of delayed payments. "We all worked from April 2019 till May this year. However, I have received only 65 per cent of the payment in two instalments. I need the funds for personal emergencies and despite reminders, I haven't received the payment for last year," said an expert. He added that the MPA has made strong recommendations for generating revenue for BMC and implementing discipline on city roads.

The charge of the MPA was recently given to Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velarasu, who assured that the work will resume soon. "I will take a review meeting with them within 10 days. The parking plan is important and has to continue. The planners and experts have been useful to the BMC and we look forward to using their services," he said.

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