Bhubaneswar, Ap 21: Despite the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) creating parking spaces across crowded areas, many of these parking slots remain unsold in auctions. Not just one or two, but over a dozen parking zones have failed to attract bids this fiscal year.

To mitigate this, BMC has once again invited tenders at a 10% lower reserve price. However, the repeated failure is expected to result in significant annual revenue losses for the civic body.

A total of 16 parking zones were put up for tender, with 9 in the South-East zone and 7 in the North zone, including several high-profile areas. For instance, the parking area near the Sri Lingaraj Temple, measuring 11,331 square feet, was initially offered at ₹22, 22,250, but no bidder came forward. Consequently, BMC has now reissued the tender at 10% less than the base price.

Similarly, the parking space near Unit-4 Fish Market also failed to attract bids, even though nearby streets are heavily congested with vehicles. Other prominent zones where auctions could not be completed include the areas in front of the Government Clinic, Jharpada Water Tank, Kesari Hall, Kapilaprasad Haat, and IG Park near the Aakash Institute.

In North Bhubaneswar, the Damanahata parking lot, spanning 29,517 square feet and accommodating 182 cars, has faced the same fate. Parking near Apollo Hospital, Patia Big Bazaar, Chandrasekharpur Indian Oil, and the Sandy Tower Hotel also failed to attract bids.

Due to these single-bid failures, BMC has reissued tenders, lowering the reserve price by 10% once again. Despite these adjustments, the civic body is expected to lose crores in potential revenue. BMC officials say parking will still be enforced in congested lanes to maintain order, even if auctions are not successful.

The repeated tender failures highlight the difficulty of monetizing parking in high-density areas despite increasing demand for vehicular space.