MUMBAI, May 20 -- To resolve the issue of traffic congestion due to non-availability of parking space, the state government has decided to bring in an integrated parking policy for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), where the development of parking spaces, including underground parking under gardens and playgrounds, will be promoted. All commissioners of municipal corporations in MMR have been asked to submit their reports with suggestions within one month. The Monday meeting on the parking space problem was attended by transport minister Pratap Sarnaik, officials of the transport department, urban development department and municipal corporation commissioners. The transport department, along with the urban development department, will decide on an integrated parking policy and is likely to announce this in the monsoon session of the state legislature. Sarnaik said that with increasing urbanisation in the MMR region and the rapid rise in the number of vehicles, parking had become a big issue. "To resolve this, the transport and urban development departments have decided to bring in an integrated parking policy," he said. "Parking spaces could be developed under playgrounds, BMC gardens or any other land on a public-private partnership basis." To avoid any policy errors, the recommendations of municipal corporations that face a severe parking problem are vital, it was decided. The municipal commissioners have thus been asked to prepare a report for their area with suggestions and submit it by June 18. The transport and urban development departments will then formulate the policy. Sarnaik added that after the successful implementation of the policy in MMR, it would be replicated across the state. He cited the underground parking in Thane as a model example. Another discussion which happened at the meeting was that if a vehicle owner did not have a parking facility in their building, the concerned municipal corporation needed to provide it....