LUCKNOW, March 25 -- Built to accommodate around 500 vehicles, a five-storey parking facility at King George's Medical University (KGMU) has remained unused for two years, even as parking woes continue to plague the campus. The facility, constructed behind the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery (CTVS) department and completed in 2023, has not been made operational. The building, equipped with nearly half a dozen elevators, is now in a state of disrepair, with all lifts reportedly rusting due to prolonged neglect. A thick layer of dust covers large parts of the premises, particularly the ground floor. The inaction has raised concerns as parking-related disputes are frequent in the nearby Lari Cardiology area. Visitors and attendants often struggle to find space, leading to haphazard parking along roads outside the CTVS and cardiology departments. Officials and visitors said that operationalising the facility could significantly ease congestion. KGMU spokesperson prof KK Singh said the university had taken possession of the structure in 2018, when it was still incomplete, adding that the need for installing costly elevators was questionable from the outset. He said that after assuming office, vice-chancellor prof Soniya Nityanand inspected the building and found all elevators non-functional. The hospital board subsequently proposed handing over the facility to a private agency for operation and maintenance, but no firm has come forward due to high upkeep costs. Singh added that the administration is now considering repairing the elevators and other infrastructure to make the facility operational in the near future. "The survey has been completed by the engineering department, and an estimate to make the parking facility functional has been submitted to the university administration. The tender process has also been initiated and will open tomorrow (Wednesday)," said prof Singh....