The urban development department has decided to handover the city’s 70 and odd parks to the environment and forests department because of lack of post-development maintenance claiming financial constraints.

The transfer of responsibility is, however, not new.

In October 2013, the urban development and housing department issued an order that a park management society would be formed and funds would be allocated to look after the park.

The society was never formed and not a single penny has been released for the management of the parks. As a result, most of the 70 and odd parks remain orphaned.

The proposal for park development society was earlier sent to the cabinet. However, then chief minister Nitish Kumar had referred the matter to the chief secretary.

According to the order issued by S. Siddharth, former secretary at urban development and housing department, 70 and odd selected parks in the city were handed over to Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCo) and Bihar State Housing Board (BSHB) for maintenance. The estimated monthly expense on the maintenance of each park was Rs 25,000.

After a year of negligence, the urban and housing department decided to handover the parks to the environment and forest department.

On the reason behind the handover, Jai Singh, the joint secretary of urban development department, said: “The environment and forest department has expertise in this field. The duty has been handed over to the most suitable department now.”

Residents are hopeful with the steps being taken for the park maintenance.

“The park in our colony is in a dilapidated condition for quite long. The handover of duties is a frequent affair. The city is turning into a concrete jungle. We have only a few parks left where one can breathe fresh air. Unfortunately, even these parks are neglected. Hope the environment and forest department takes the issue seriously and maintains them religiously,” said Kadamkuan resident Sourav Singh.

Vivek Kumar Singh, the principal secretary of the environment and forest department, said they would focus on infrastructure first.

“We will make a regular chart for the maintenance of the parks starting from the premises to the grass being chopped regularly. The maintenance of the park will be done on state- and district-level. We will emphasise more on the greenery of the park. We will do it as fast as we can. The guidelines and the by-laws will be drafted by the forest department,” said Singh.