A security guard checks the bags of a female visitor at Buddha Smriti Park in the absence of female personnel. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Feb. 10: The state government seems to be making sincere efforts in promoting tourism in Bihar but the fine-tuning of the basic facilities appears to have been overlooked when it comes to implementation.

The newly added leaf in the beautification chapter of Patna, the Buddha Park, located on the station road has been drawing substantial number of visitors since its opening.

However, a closer look reveals a few loopholes in providing the basic requirements to visitors.

Female visitors to the park have to undergo an embarrassing situation as male security personnel check women’s purses because of lack of female security guards on the premises.

Moreover, if a woman refuses to get her bag checked by a male security personnel and enquires about a female security guard, they are curtly shown the gate.

A visitor enters the park. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Shubhra Roy, who recently visited the park, said: “In such places, security is a major concern. But women’s purses being checked by males is appalling. When I refused to get my purse checked by the male personnel and insisted on a woman security guard, I was rudely told to leave the premises. The security personnel were curt enough to tell me that many other women had visited the place earlier. They didn’t have any complaint so why should I make such a fuss.”

Another young woman, Akansha, who was strolling inside the park, said: “I wanted to visit the park so I had no other option but to let the male guards check my purse. It was a very embarrassing exercise. I would not have a problem had some female personnel checked my bag.”

On enquiring about the issue with the urban development department, D.K. Shukla, an official with the department, said: “The provision of women security personnel in the park has already been made.” However, he denied knowledge of purses of women being checked by male security personnel.

Anmol Sinha, the operations manager, Patna branch of G4S, the private security agency responsible for the security provision in the park, said: “The recruitment of female security personnel is yet to be done.”

The lame excuse put forward by him was “the park has been recently inaugurated and some recruitments are in process”. The park was inaugurated in May 2010.

Recently, the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park was under the watchful eyes of the policemen, who complained that young boys and girls used to hang around in the park for hours.

However, the zoo authorities asked the police to inform them before taking any action against the zoo visitors.

The officials of the park also assured that they would take action on their own if they were found indulging in indecent activities in the park.

Under such circumstances, the Buddha Park was one such place where people spend time with their families during holidays and weekends.

If female security guards are not hired immediately the newly constructed park would send a wrong message across the city and women would avoid visiting the park said a source.