Concern over fair being organised on parking plaza rooftop

 Permission has been granted as the organisers had obtained the nod from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

Representational image

Vivek Chhetri   |   TT  |  Darjeeling   |    04.10.22  : The Darjeeling administration has given permission to a fair (mela) on the rooftop of a seven-storey parking plaza, raising questions on safety and the logic behind an event at a parking lot during peak tourist season.

The fortnight-long fair, which is avowedly being organised by “unemployed youths”, was inaugurated on Sunday evening by Amrit Yonzone, the youth wing president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, and Yogendra Pradhan, an elected member of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration who is also a BGPM leader.

The Anit Thapa-led BGPM helms the GTA.

The hill party is also close to the Trinamul-ruled state government.

Bimal Gurung, the president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, alleged that the man behind this mela was Amrit Yonzone. “Amrit Yonzone is the man behind the mela,” said Gurung.

Yonzone denied the charge but added that he did help “unemployed youths” obtain permissions as they did not know the process of doing so.

“Moreover, the mela is also being organised to raise funds to help a young student whose kidneys are damaged,” said Yonzone, justifying the reason for the event.

Many residents in the hills, however, are “extremely surprised” with the administration’s decision to allow a mela on the rooftop of a multi-level parking plaza.

“The administration must be solely held responsible if any mishap takes place on the rooftop mela. It is absurd that parking has been stopped at a parking plaza to allow a mela,” said a local resident on condition of anonymity.

Dulen Roy, the SDO of Darjeeling (Sadar), said that his office had granted permission for the mela as clearance for it had been granted by the departments concerned.

“Permission has been granted as they (the organisers) had obtained the nod from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)…. The thana (police station) has also given their no-objection, fire (department) has given permission. All formalities have been fulfilled,” said Roy.

Asked if it was logical to allow a mela on a parking space, Roy said that there was parking space in the other floors below.

The seven-floor parking space in front of the Darjeeling Government College, constructed by the GTA at cost of around Rs 26 crore, has currently been leased out.

The rooftop parking lot is in high demand in the town as the Darjeeling zoo is a stone’s throw away.

However, the project is still incomplete. A state PWD office building had to be demolished for more space for the parking plaza, which still stands on the spot. Hence, the parking lot does not have separate entry and exit points even though it can house around 300 vehicles, it constantly creates traffic snarls along that stretch.

This mela also has a Ferris Wheel.

Asked if it was safe, Yonzone said the wheel had not been installed on the concrete rooftop but on the ground that touches the building.