Bhagalpur: Bhagalpur, one of the smart city picks, will get a park with amusement options and other facilities targeted at children and the elderly.

District magistrate Pranav Kumar, who took charge in the last week of April, presided over a meeting on Monday evening with officials and members of Jai Prakash Udyan Saha Sandis compound Vikas Samiti.

He told The Telegraph that the Patna High Court, which had earlier restricted any work on the Bhagalpur ground, ordered the district administration on April 25 to go ahead with beautification projects and other renovation works. "We have fixed a three-month deadline to complete all the basic requirements for the project. The tender formalities will be done by July, and the work will be completed from August to October."

A new detailed project report will be completed from funds of smart city action plan, and Rs 10 crore will be spent on it. A special team of officials has been constituted to monitor the project work.

All activities on the ground will be monitored by CCTV cameras. Toilets, tennis, badminton and basketball courts will be renovated and two ponds and an open-air theatre constructed at the ground.

Construction of boundary walls and upgrading the gymkhana with proper drinking water facilities are also on the roster.

The local forest department will look after the horticulture responsibilities, and high-mast lights, water fountains and other decorative items will be installed.

Shades with proper running tracks will be constructed around the ground with the encroachments removed.

The district administration will fix entry fee for the ground and the income generated will be utilised to develop the Sandis compound.

The action plan for the city's greens has been welcomed by Bhagalpur residents.

Dilip Roy, the samiti's vice-president, said: "Earlier in 2004, the Patna High Court had restricted work on the compound but our samiti approached it for consideration for the sake of the Sandis ground. Similarly, in 2017 the district administration requested the court to take appropriate decision on restoration of the Sandis compound in the heart of the city. "Due to the previous restrictions, no work was possible on the ground. There was even no provisions for projects under the smart city action plan, but now it can be included."

"A large number of people walk here in the morning and evening, so it's the only source of pure natural oxygen for Bhagalpur residents. It should be maintained properly," stressed Gopal Choudhury.