CHENNAI: The Madras Medical Mission, one of the biggest multi-specialty hospitals in the city, has been using public land as a paid parking site for its visitors by leasing it to a private contractor. The land that visitors use for parking of vehicles at the entrance is actually the open space reservation (OSR) land that the hospital had surrendered to the Chennai Corporation for public usage.
However, the hospital has leased the land near the campus entrance at Mogappair to a private entity — Gajendra Parking Centre — which operates a paid parking lot in the roughly 4000 sq metre space. Two-wheelers are charged `5 and four-wheelers `20. The OSR land also houses a shed used by staff for two-wheeler parking and two toilets in the corner, which the management claims are intended for public use.
“I noticed the sign near the entrance which states the land belongs to the Chennai Corporation and refused to pay the parking fee,” said David Manohar, an activist with Arappor Iyakkam, who had gone to the hospital for a routine check-up.
Despite his arguments, Manohar was forced to pay parking fee for his two-wheeler. When Express contacted the management, they admitted the paid parking lot was indeed OSR land belonging to the city Corporation and that it had been leased to Gajendra Parking Centre. “The lessee charges money, only for four-wheeler parking,” claimed B Ashok Kumar, administrative officer of the MMM. However, when Express visited the hospital, it found that even two-wheelers are being charged for parking.
Officials of the hospital told Express that the paid parking system had been in existence for over three years and that the lease was renewed annually. However, they refused to reveal the cost of annual renewal.
Interestingly, Thiruvalluvar, a hospital official who claimed to be in-charge of campus, claimed that the Chennai Corporation officials were aware of the paid parking system in its land. “Right from Balasubramaniam, zonal officer (Ambattur) to the higher-ups, everyone knows about this arrangement and they haven’t said anything,” he said.
Balasubramaniam continuously evaded calls when Express tried to reach him for comment.
The Deputy Commissioner of Corporation (works), Govinda Rao, told Express that he would look into the issue.
If the city Corporation does indeed know about it as Thiruvalluvar claims, it is ignoring a clear violation of the Development Control Rules of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority which clearly state the OSR land cannot be sold or let to a government/ private entity and should only be used for “communal” or “recreational” purposes.