Residents of SK Nagar have taken a leaf out of the book of their fellow citizens in Kankerbagh and formed a committee to take care of a park in their area.
Kankerbagh residents have done an exemplary job of maintaining parks number 22 and 25 in their locality after the state government closed the green patches because of lack of funds for upkeep. The Telegraph had reported the good work done by them in its March 19, 2012 edition.
Inspired by their good work, the SK Nagar residents have also joined hands to take care of park number 2 in their area. One hundred and fifty of them attended a meeting on Sunday and decided to contribute money for the upkeep of the green patch.
The secretary of SK Nagar Park No. 2 committee, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, told The Telegraph: “The plants at the park were dying. The tiles on the pathway and the bulbs were broken. The benches were also broken. The park was unsuitable for the use of the residents. People from outside would come in and do whatever they wanted. We often found beer bottles inside the park.”
He added: “This had happened because there was no caretaker or gardener to water the plants. There was no security guard either. They all left because they were not getting their salaries. The park had lost its greenery. Now, the residents of SK Nagar have formed the committee to look after the park.”
Sharing details of the plan, Sanjeev said: “All the 150 members have contributed Rs 100 each for the maintenance of the park. They will also give Rs 50 every month. Apart from this money, Rs 2 is being charged as entry fee from the visitors in the morning and evening. More than 500 people visit the park daily. The entry fee will also be used for the maintenance of the park.”
Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam (BRPNN) had shut down this park, along with five others, on January 17 citing lack of funds for their upkeep. While the Kankerbagh residents had given the officials enough reason for soul searching, the SK Puri residents are not far behind. When The Telegraph team visited the park on Tuesday, they found that work to reclaim the recreational facility had begun. Broken bulbs and tiles had been replaced; flower beds had been well-watered. A resident of the area said: “We want to send a message that parks are very important. People from all walks of life should come forward for this cause.”
Sources said the park was constructed by BRPNN at a cost of Rs 1.33 crore. Chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated it in 2009. Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) was responsible for providing funds to BRPNN but for the past two months, the civic body has failed to do so.
Sulochana Devi, a housemaker who had come for evening walk, said: “I think all the parks should be maintained by the citizens.”
