Patna, Jan. 18: Displaying exemplary responsibility towards the society, Kankerbagh residents today opened two locked parks in their area with the promise of maintaining them.

Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam (BRPNN) Ltd had closed park number 22 and 25 with four others last evening citing lack of funds for their upkeep. Over the locked gates, BRPNN officials had put up a notice: “Due to non-availability of maintenance funds, parks will remain closed.”

Citizens were not ready to suffer, though. They did not want to be denied of their right to enjoy the civic facilities.

They opened the locked gates this morning, after informing the district authorities. The residents also informed the authorities that they would take care of the parks’ maintenance.

Upendra Nath Singh, a resident of CC Block near park no. 25, said: “The park was officially closed by the Nigam officials but we opened it. We have informed the district magistrate and the senior superintendent of police that we will take the responsibility of its maintenance. We do not depend on the government.”

Citizens who opened the closed gates of park no. 22 also had the same reasons to offer. One of them, Sunil Kumar Singh, said: “Let the officials do what they want. We live in this area and are capable of taking the responsibility of the park. If the park is closed where we will go for morning walks? Where will our children play?”

Asked what he thought about the citizens’ initiative, BRPNN managing director Dev Narayan Prasad said: “I appreciate the move of the residents. The Nigam cannot bear the cost of maintaining the parks.”

The other four parks that BRPNN shut down are SK Nagar Park at Kidwaipuri, SK Puri Park on Boring Road, Rajvanshi Nagar Park at Rajvanshi Nagar, Kankerbagh Park No. 32.

Prasad said: “We wrote to Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) several times and requested them to take over the responsibility of the parks. We also suggested that if they cannot take responsibility, they should at least give us the maintenance funds. We got funds from the state urban development department to construct the park. On finishing the work, we are supposed to hand them over to the PMC.”

The civic body officials refused to comment on the issue.

Chadrama Singh, additional commissioner, PMC, told The Telegraph: “I have no idea about this. The commissioner is out of the city. The Nigam should have waited for four days (till the return of the commissioner) before closing the parks.”

Caught in the crossfire, citizens are being deprived of their rights to a civic facility.

Boring Road resident Ravi Kumar said: “The park was constructed for the citizens but it has been closed by the government officials. I really do not understand the necessity for taking such steps.”

BRPNN chairman Vipin Kumar said he hoped for an amicable and speedy solution to the quandary.