Now, Shoppers Forced To Shell Out Up To 100, Official Rate 10 Per Hour New Delhi: The spirit of Delhiites might be soaring with the ongoing festive season but extra parking fees are playing spoilsport. With Diwali just a week away, shoppers also have to budget in for the exorbitant parking fees. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the parking rate for first one hour is Rs 10 and then Rs 20. But with the rates at several popular markets ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 100, parking has become a huge money spinner. The attendants at markets like Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Greater Kailash N block and Defence Colony are charging “extra” for parking a car for even an hour. “Firstly, there is no adequate parking space in Karol Bagh as it is too congested. Even if there’s some space, attendants tell us we can’t park there. After repeated requests, they tell us we will have to shell out Rs 100 to get the car parked,” said Jagdeep Singh, a software engineer. Shoppers at Chandni Chowk are recounting the same story. “By 11.30am, attendants claim the parking lot is full and if one wants to get his car parked, they ask for Rs 50 for an hour and Rs 100 for over an hour while the slip says Rs 10,” said Rashid Rehman (41), a trader. Vinay Gogia, a resident of Patel Nagar, had a similar experience when he went out for dinner at Greater Kailash. “We went to a restaurant for dinner at the GK N block market but after making rounds of the parking lot, I couldn’t find any space. I requested the attendant but he said I will have to shell out Rs 100 as I have a big car. I paid because I wanted to get my car parked but I got a Rs 10 slip,” said Gogia. Deep Mathur, director of press and information, MCD, said: “If such a malpractice is taking place, we will blacklist the parking contractor. We request the harassed citizens to get in touch with officials. We will deploy our staff to keep a vigil on such contractors.” Dinesh K Joshi, the parking contractor at GK N block market, however, claimed people generally did not report such harassments to him. “There were similar instances earlier and I fired two of my attendants. If such a demand is made, people should contact police. I tell users not to even tip the attendants,” said Joshi. In markets like Lajpat Nagar, where parking is free, there are no attendant to help people park. “For the past 45 minutes, I am just looking for space. I have made two rounds but with no organized parking system, it is a mess,” said Virender Kumar, a trader. MCD was to install parking meters here but the project is still at the tendering stage. “Delhi Traffic cops have been deployed for smooth traffic and to ensure there is no inconvenience to public while parking their cars,” said Mathur. But the traffic cops deployed there claimed ensuring smooth traffic movement was their job, not parking.