Nagpur: In a sharp rebuke to civic authorities and errant hospital managements, the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench has demanded a detailed report from the Nagpur Municipal Commissioner within a week on the action taken against hospitals allegedly misusing parking spaces meant for patients and visitors.
The stern directive came during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the Dhantoli Nagrik Mandal before the division bench of Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Wakode. The petition exposed how several hospitals have illegally converted mandatory parking areas into commercial spaces or other facilities, triggering traffic chaos, rampant roadside parking and increased risk of accidents in already congested localities.
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Expressing serious concern, the court observed that despite repeated directions issued over the last ten years, the situation on the ground remains largely unchanged. Taking note of the continued violations, the bench has now pushed for strict penalties against defaulting hospitals.
The court has asked the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to clarify how many hospitals have been served notices warning them of punitive action for encroaching upon designated parking areas. Authorities have already issued notices to several hospitals, directing them to appear before the civic body and submit their explanations before penalties are finalised.
The bench was particularly unimpressed with the authorities’ claim that earlier orders failed to yield results due to so-called “practical difficulties.” Rejecting the justification, the court signalled a tougher enforcement approach to curb the violations.
As part of the new crackdown, the court had directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to submit prevailing commercial rental rates for similar properties. Based on those figures, the NMC has been asked to issue show-cause notices to all defaulting hospitals.
Hospitals found guilty of misusing parking spaces may now face steep financial penalties, potentially being charged four times the applicable commercial rental rate every month for illegally using the reserved area for business purposes.
The bench also warned that the action may not remain limited to a few hospitals. It indicated that the scope of the proceedings could be widened across the city, bringing commercial complexes and other establishments misusing mandatory parking spaces under the scanner as well.
The court’s strong stance signals a renewed push to enforce long-ignored parking norms in Nagpur and hold violators accountable.
