KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) are at odds over the charged parking dispute. This was stated by KMC Senior Director, Charged Parking Mukhtar Hussain, while speaking to Daily Times on Thursday. The dispute continues between the two entities despite a direction to KDA by Secretary Local Government Ramzan Awan that it was not authorized to collect parking fees. He said that KMC and six District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) are responsible for collecting the fees in the city. Around 21 government bodies including a private firm are charging parking fee in the city despite the fact that according to Schedule-5, Part I, Sub Section 9, of Sindh Local Government Act 2013, only KMC has the authority to collect the fee. Six cantonment boards, Pakistan Railways, Civil Aviation Authority, Karachi Port Trust, six DMCs, Citizen Police Liaison Committee, District Council, Gabo Pat Union Council and Carwash, a private firm, have been collecting parking fees in the city. The private firm, Carwash, is collecting the fee on 35 various roads and streets in old city area, M. Naseem, Additional Director KMC Car Parking informed. He said that KMC is currently collecting parking fee at 43 sites in Karachi. KMC is also receiving parking fee from Hawks Bay Truck Stand and Parking Plaza in Saddar. Rs 50 million is being currently collected in this head but the annual fee collection budget stands at around Rs 161 million, he added. The additional director said, “If we are allowed to collect charging fee in old city area, then our revenue would be doubled.” Allegedly the police, traffic police, KMC’s enforcement department, land revenue and workers of various political parties are also minting money from citizens in the name of charged parking. KDA has currently occupied Civic Centre Parking area besides it has also issued notices to KMC officials to vacate 20 such charged parking fee sites in different parts of the city, he added. “KMC officials have been warned, through the notices, of legal action in case they fail to leave the parking sites”, Naseem claimed. Meanwhile, the police has foiled an attempt of KDA car parking officials to occupy a parking area in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. Naseem said that KMC would take due course of action against the steps taken by KDA inthis regard. Syed Obaid Ahmad, Director Charged Parking KDA in a letter vide no KDA/DIR/CP-C/2017/18/L, dated January 10, 2017 to Munnawer Khan, a KMC authorized contractor for charged parking fee at Abdullah Shah Qazi Mazar has been asked to reschedule his contract with KDA within three days. Talking to Daily Times, Obaid Ahmad said he is not authorized to talk to media on the charged parking fee issue and added that only Nasir Abbas, Director General of KDA, has the authority in this regard.