PUNE: The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) will construct a 10-storey facility in 14 months to park 180 cars on Lloyd Road at the junction of East Street and Coyaji Road.The board awarded the tender to a Mumbai-based private agency at a general body meeting on Monday. PCB president Major General Prithi Singh said the board cannot afford to delay the project any further as the cost may escalate.Chief Executive Officer DN Yadav told TOI on Tuesday, “The total cost of the project is around Rs 12.39 crore. The agency must complete the work in 14 months. It will decongest MG Road and East Street. Currently, people park their cars on these roads which contributes to traffic congestion.”The board took two years to finalise the project. As per the procedure, the board had to send a proposal to the Garrison Engineer (North) for technical suggestions. Thereafter, it was sent to Southern Command for approval.“The project has been approved by the Southern Army commander recently. Thereafter, we called for tenders twice but did not get a positive response. This time, we received three responses of which, we have approved an agency which has constructed such parking facilities in Delhi,” a senior official from engineering department of the board said.The board also sent another proposal for a multi-storey facility to park at least 270 cars to Direct General Defence Estates (DGDE), New Delhi, for approval last month.“Once we get the approval from the DGDE, we will call for a tender. Our endeavour is to complete this project too in the next two years,” the official said.The board’s vice president Priyanka Shirigiri said, “Since a large number of commercial shops are located on East Street and MG Road, many people park their cars here, occupying a substantial carriageway of these roads.”

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