Burrabazar's biggest problem is space, rather the lack of it. Lack of planning and the mushrooming of illegal buildings have led to road space in the commercial hub shrinking with each passing year. The problem has been compounded by vehicles being parked illegally, choking all the arteries. More than 75,000 traders, dealing in everything from spices to textiles, imitation ornaments to readymade garments, operate from the 60-odd pattis (stretches) and katras (small markets) in Burrabazar. The sheer volume of trade makes Burrabazar a gold mine also for agencies that have been entrusted with the responsibility of keeping it clear of parking chaos. Metro analyses the role of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the police in Burrabazar. ** Calcutta Municipal Corporation What it is supposed to do: Create parking lots and appoint cooperatives to collect fees from vehicle owners who use this space. Every cooperative member is required to carry an authentic identity card and charge fees in accordance with the CMC rate card. Reality: The cooperatives, backed by a section of CMC officials, preside over a lucrative parking racket. First, the cooperatives have to pay bribes to be appointed lessees for a trade zone like Burrabazar. After getting the licences, they recover the money paid as bribe in quick time by charging more than the stipulated parking fees. For instance, someone parking a car on Kalakar Street for an hour has to pay Rs 30, more than four times the CMC rate of Rs 7. Trucks that are unloaded in the narrow lanes pay Rs 200 each. Resident voice: "It has become impossible to live in Burrabazar. Trucks block even the main entrances of buildings. This place has become very unsafe for women and children,' said Rajshree Pachisia, a resident of Posta. CMC version: "If people of Burrabazar are facing any problems because of illegal parking, they should immediately lodge complaints with us. We have cracked down on dishonest cooperative members in the past and we will do it again if we receive more complaints. Challenge the man at the parking lot if you think he is trying to fleece you. If he fails to produce valid identity papers and the rate chart, lodge a complaint against him,' says Faiyaz Ahmed Khan, the CMC official in charge of parking. ** Police What they are supposed to do: Crack down on illegal parking. Trucks are barred from the narrow lanes of Burrabazar. Parking in any stretch at night is illegal, and it is the police's responsibility to ensure truckers do not violate this rule. Traffic sergeants are required to stop large vehicles right at the entrance to Burrabazar. Reality: There are two ways in which the police make money. They demand and get a cut from the cooperatives' earnings. They also take money from the vehicles carrying goods in and out of Burrabazar. The cooperatives allow parking on either side of congested stretches like Kali Krishna Tagore Street, Kalakar Street, Pathuriaghata Street, Posta, Raja Katra and Strand Road. The police look the other way because they are paid to do so. Traffic policemen also extract money from the drivers of commercial vehicles entering and leaving Burrabazar. Once a driver pays the cops, he can enter the area from the wrong way and park anywhere on the road to load or unload goods. Sergeants admit that a police team posted in Burrabazar or Posta stands to make at least Rs 50,000 extra a month just from the business of illegal parking. Resident voice: "The cops earn the most from night parking, which is illegal. This is the only place in Calcutta where there are traffic jams even at 1am,' says a resident of Raja Katra. Police version: "Postings in Burrabazar and Posta police stations are prized ones. Officers pay huge amounts to their bosses to get a posting in either of these two police stations because they know they will be able to recover the money within a few months,' says a sergeant who spent three years in Burrabazar.