Sambalpur: Railway Station Parking Abuse: Contractor Hit With Rs 2 Lakh Fine

Sambalpur: Taking more money from parking near Sambalpur Railway Station has been costly for contractors. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission fined parking contractor AP Singh Rs 2 lakh.

Prafulla Dash, a senior journalist from Sambalpur Modipada, left his scooter (OD-15-J-7003) in the parking area at Sambalpur railway station and boarded the train on November 1, 2023. The ticket specifies a charge of Rs 9 for the first 12 hours and Rs 12 for additional 12 hours. He was charged thirty rupees for 12 hours. Asking the attendants about the overcharger did not get any satisfactory answer.

Mr. Dash complained about this to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum Office on 6 November 2023. AP Singh, DRM, and DCM were implicated in this. After careful consideration, the commission, led by Dr. Ramakanta Shatpathi, delivered its verdict.

AP Singh, the responsible contractor of the parking area, was fined Rs 2 lakh, with an additional Rs 10,000 allocated for expenses. The order also required a Rs 1 lakh payment in the user relief fund. Furthermore, the developer was instructed to maintain fair practices in the future, preventing user exploitation.

This verdict serves as a deterrent against unfair practices in parking facilities, emphasizing the importance of transparent and reasonable pricing for the benefit of consumers.