Jaipur: Flooded with requests to develop new parks or improve facilities of existing ones, Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has decided to change its policy, which will allow the civic body to add public-friendly facilities in parks measuring less than one hectare under its jurisdiction. Officials said that unlike the two municipal corporations, most parks under JDA are prominent and large, like the Central Park, Jawahar Circle, Nehru Bal Udyan, or the Ramniwas Bagh. However, JDA has around 76 parks under its jurisdiction that are less than one hectare. In total, there are 92 parks under the jurisdiction of JDA.
"All these small parks were developed after 2009, but, unlike the municipal corporations, JDA cannot develop any public facilities like play zones for kids or open gymnasiums. We cannot even place benches inside parks less than a hectare. JDA has decided to amend this policy, and soon the policy will get approved," said a senior official.
Officials said, residents of several colonies and councillors across the city raised several requests with the JDA in the last few years, asking the civic body to develop public-friendly facilities in the existing small parks or to develop new parks. However, JDA currently does not have spaces to construct big parks in most colonies of the city. "With a change in policy, JDA can develop the existing parks and can also develop more parks. Once approved, we plan to start development works at these small parks from January," said another official.