Gurgaon's New Multi-Level Parking Facility Inoperable Despite CM Inauguration
The recently inaugurated multi-level car parking facility in Sadar Bazar, Gurgaon, remains completely inoperable, with Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) officials confirming that the project cannot be opened to the public because its operations and maintenance contract has not been awarded yet. This situation persists despite the facility being inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini over a month ago, leaving traders and visitors in the congested area facing continued parking chaos.
Eligibility Criteria Hinder Contract Award
Officials explained that tenders for the operations and maintenance contract were floated twice, but none of the applying agencies met the required eligibility criteria. The eligibility conditions vary from project to project, and in this case, they proved too stringent for potential bidders. The civic body is now actively considering relaxing these conditions to facilitate the hiring of an agency to run the facility.
A senior MCG official stated: "We floated the tender twice. However, agencies are unable to fulfil the eligibility criteria, due to which this delay happened. We are now in talks with the consultant who prepared the request for proposal (RFP) to tweak certain conditions so that we can have an agency and the facility is made operational. It will take us at least one month more to make the parking functional."
Project Details and Delayed Timeline
The multi-level parking project was originally scheduled for completion in December 2021. Constructed over 3,187 square metres, the facility features three basements and six floors, with a capacity to accommodate 218 cars. Once operational, the Rs 55 crore project is expected to significantly ease parking woes in one of Gurgaon's oldest and most crowded markets.
Sumit Narang of the Sadar Bazar Association expressed frustration: "What is the advantage of spending crores when the facility is not put to use? The building has been ready for six to seven months but is not operational. Once operational, it will resolve the parking problem of the area to a great extent."
Broader Pattern of Project Delays in Haryana
The stalled parking facility is not an isolated case but reflects a wider pattern across Haryana. Official data reveals that of the 737 projects announced by the Chief Minister since 2014, 148 remain unfinished. This includes 72 classified as pending and 76 listed as in progress, resulting in an overall non-completion rate of approximately 20.1%. In practical terms, nearly one in five announced projects has yet to be delivered.
The distribution of pending projects shows Panipat leading with 27, followed by Gurgaon with 20. Gurgaon also has 10 projects still in progress, while Panipat has seven underway. Faridabad, which has the highest number of CM announcements in the state at 144, currently has 23 projects in progress and eight pending.
Recent Years Show Concentrated Delays
Data on the year-wise status of Haryana CM announcements indicates that delays are increasingly concentrated in recent years. For instance, of the 50 projects announced in 2025 alone, 37 are pending and 13 are in progress, meaning 100% of last year's announcements remain incomplete. Similarly, in 2024, 19 out of 21 projects are pending and two are in progress, leaving all of that year's announcements unfinished so far.
Officials often attribute such delays to procedural hurdles like tendering issues, technical requirements, or coordination challenges between departments. However, governance analysts argue that these are routine administrative steps that should typically be resolved before projects are declared ready or inaugurated.
Criticism of Public Fund Utilization
A former Haryana government official, speaking anonymously, highlighted the financial implications: "In the case of the multi-level car parking in Gurgaon, Rs 55 crore of taxpayers' money is already spent, yet the facility is still not operational. Several projects across the state remain stuck in prolonged delays. If the carrying cost or interest burden on public funds locked into such stalled works was calculated, the figure would be substantial, underscoring what critics describe as a serious waste of public money."
The data also shows that of the 737 CM announcements, 41 projects were deemed "not found feasible to be executed." This further complicates the landscape of public infrastructure development in the state.
As MCG works to adjust eligibility criteria and award the operations and maintenance contract, residents and traders in Sadar Bazar continue to wait for relief from parking congestion, hoping the facility will become functional soon to justify the significant public investment.
