Goa Khabar: Serious questions have been raised over the continued collection of vehicle parking fees in Panaji after the stated expiry of the pay-parking contract under the jurisdiction of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).

Leonid Furtado has alleged that pay-parking wardens continued collecting parking fees on August 17, 2026, even though a CCP commencement letter states that the contractual period was applicable from August 15, 2023 to August 14, 2026, for a period of three years.

According to the CCP document dated October 30, 2023, the contractor was directed to commence collection of pay-parking fees in designated areas within the Corporation’s jurisdiction in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Furtado said that he personally witnessed pay-parking wardens collecting fees in Panaji on August 17, after the period mentioned in the commencement letter had ended. He alleged that the collection was “illegal and unauthorised” and said the public should be made aware of the situation.

Furtado Questions Possibility of Fresh Notification

Furtado further claimed that no fresh notification or authorisation could have been issued without the matter first being brought before the CCP Council.

According to him, the last Council meeting was the budget meeting held on May 19, and no Council meeting has been held since then. He further claimed that under the applicable Act, a Council meeting is required to be held every month.

In view of this, Furtado questioned whether any decision authorising the continuation of pay-parking fee collection after the expiry of the contractual period had been placed before and approved by the Council.

Why Was Fresh Tender Not Floated Before Expiry?

Furtado has also questioned the CCP over its handling of the approaching contract expiry.

He argued that the Corporation was already aware that the three-year pay-parking arrangement was due to expire in August 2026 and therefore questioned why a fresh tender inviting bids was not issued sufficiently in advance.

According to Furtado, the expiry date was known to the Corporation well beforehand, and necessary steps should have been initiated to ensure that any continuation of pay-parking operations was backed by a valid contractual and administrative process.

CCP Clarification Awaited

The controversy has now raised key questions over the legal and administrative basis for the continued collection of parking fees in Panaji after August 14.

Furtado has sought clarity on who authorised the continued collection, whether the matter received Council approval, and why a fresh tender was not floated before the existing contract expired.

An official clarification from the Corporation of the City of Panaji on the present status of the pay-parking contract and the authority under which fees are currently being collected is awaited.