Bhubaneswar: Transgenders will now be seen collecting parking fees in the state capital. As part of the initiatives to include Third Gender in the mainstream, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has assigned two major parking lots in the Smart City to TG Swikruti, an NGO run by transgenders, for collection of fees. Approving the appeal made by the NGO, BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary assigned the new responsibility to transgenders at a special function here today in presence of other officials of the civic body. Wearing a special apron and holding a bag, members of the NGO will collect fees from two main parking lots in the city. The first parking lot covers the area between Raj Mahal Square and Master Canteen Square that includes four parking sites: 1-from Khadims showroom front to Sreeleathers showroom front, 2- from hotel Royal Midtown to Arya Palace 3-Ashok Market to City Residency and 4- from Royal Midtown front to Narayan Ayurved Bhawan showroom front. The second parking lot covers area from Master Canteen to Shriya Square. The parking sites that come under this are: 1-parking zone at Kharvel Nagar (off-street) opposite Hotel Swosti 2- Kharvel Nagar parking zone (off-street) in front of Epari Sadashiv Jewellers, 3- Kharvel Nagar parking zone (off-street) from Narula General Stores front to PC Chand Jewellers front, 4- Kharvel Nagar parking zone (off-street) in front of at Godabarisha Sahitya Sansad, and 5- Kharvel Nagar parking zone (on-street) in front of Hotel Keshari.
The duty has been assigned to transgenders on a experimental basis for two months, said BMC Deputy Commissioner Shrimanta Mishra. Monthly fees for the first parking lot is 2.23 lakh while the fees has been fixed at Rs 1.46 lakh for the second one. Organisations that have allotted with the parking lots will pay the money to BMC after completion of one month.
NGO TG Swikruti has submitted a security deposit of R 7,380 for the new assignment.