Kottayam: Hindu organisations have launched a protest against what they allege are exorbitant parking charges being collected at the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) ground in Erumeli, Kottayam. They also accuse Revenue Department officials of showing reluctance to act against the contractors appointed by TDB to manage the parking area.

According to a complaint filed by a van driver, he was charged ₹200 to park his vehicle on the ground, despite the TDB's approved rate being ₹75 for vans. The organisations claim that contractors continue to levy inflated fees even after the TDB issued a notice to them following multiple complaints from the public.

Another complainant said that he was charged different amounts when he parked the same vehicle on different days. According to this complaint by Arun, a driver from Perumbavoor, the contractor charged ₹100 instead of ₹75 for parking his Traveller vehicle at the stadium ground when he arrived there for the first time this year with Sabarimala pilgrims. However, during his second trip to the place with the same vehicle, Arun had to pay ₹150 for parking. Arun filed the complaint when he was forced to pay an excessive parking fee on the third visit.

Hindu organisations soon took up the issue and announced a stir against the Revenue Department officers who were unwilling to take action against the fleecing of vehicles by the parking contractors.

The Intelligence wing of the police has also submitted a report suggesting the chances of tension owing to the illegal collection of parking fees at Erumeli.

Responding to the issue, Revenue officials said that they had approached the District Collector in order to initiate action against the contractors. During previous years, the officers on duty at the Revenue Control Room at Erumeli had powers to impose fines on contractors at parking grounds which collected inflated fees. These powers were given to the Revenue officials based on an order issued by the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO).

This year, inspection teams of officers from various departments have received the RDO's order to impose fines in the parking grounds at Pamba and Nilakkal. "If a similar order is issued by the RDO to the inspection team under the officers at the Revenue Control Room in Erumeli, the illegal collection of parking fees can be curtailed," said a Revenue Department official.