Hubballi: Senior citizens, who go to the Indira
Glass House for walking or jogging, have decided to maintain it if the HDMC fails to keep its promise of renovating the park within the deadline.
Senior citizens under the forum ‘Hubballi Shahar Hiriya Nagraika Seva Samiti’ have set a one-month deadline to develop the park. Though deadline is close, the HDMC hasn’t started work to improve the park. Over the next few days, the forum will chalk out its future course of action.
Samiti president P S Dharaneppanavar said, “We’re fed up with the civic authorities as HDMC commissioner does not have time to respond to our demand. We submitted a memorandum in February, urging the commissioner to develop and maintain the Mahatma Gandhi Park and Indira Glass House. We also asked the commissioner to take up development works within a month, but no steps have been initiated. It shows how much they are concerned about development.”
He added, “Within two days, we’ll meet the commissioner to follow up on our demand. If he expresses helplessness, then we’ll urge him to give the maintenance responsibility to the public. Also, the Samiti will ask for a written assurance on when HDMC will implement the Rs 12-crore MG Park development programme announced in the budget and also explore ways to launch a legal battle against HDMC for not maintaining this park.”
Samiti members have approached over 15 organisations for their help to develop the park if the HDMC fails to do it, said sources.
Sudhir Saraf, mayor, HDMC, said, “We’ll meet with the senior citizen forum to take up immediate temporary works. As this park will be developed under the Smart City project, I’ll see that development work begins as early as possible.”
Park facts
* Spread over 26 acres but almost dried up due to poor maintenance of lawns
* Sculptures installed, for which lakhs of rupees of public money were spent, have been defaced
* Pavers are uneven on the walking path and senior citizens find it difficult to walk
* Toilets are in bad shape and there’s been no proper management for over a year
* Toy train hasn’t yet started and tracks removed by miscreants due to poor security
* Over 1,000 people regularly visit the park every day
