The deserted Rock Garden in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Jan. 15: The festival of colour promises more oomph this time, as Rock Garden, one of the major tourist attractions in the city, is all set to re-open for public by Holi this year.

Director of Calcutta-based M/s Nerve Knock Park Theme Private Limited Neeraj Kumar Singh, who had taken it on a 21-year lease, will arrive in the city tomorrow to take possession of the garden.

The garden was closed since August 15 after a violent incident in which seven policemen sustained injuries and a villager died.

Singh, who is at present in Dhanbad, told The Telegraph that he would take control of the garden on January 18 for reconstruction and beautification work.

The work, he added, would be followed by the construction of a wall around the garden for safety reasons.

“We have also asked the Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA) to take steps to remove encroachment around the garden. This would ensure proper security on and around the garden premises in the future. The beautification work will continue till March 2 and after that the garden will be re-opened ,” he said.

After the violent incident, the district administration had put a seal on the garden on August 16, anticipating law and order problems.

But, the present deputy commissioner, Kamal Kishore Soan, was directed to re-open the park on September 29, keeping the public’s interest in mind, by the RRDA. .

A day after the deputy commissioner’s directive, some mischief-makers burnt the haunted house, one of the major attractions of the spot.

The incident had then forced its owners not to take possession for some time and claim for compensation, instead. The closure of the garden had disappointed residents, especially on New Year when they missed a chance of a picnic there.

RRDA gave Rock Garden to the company on “Build Operate and Transfer” basis for a 21-years lease in 1998. The company agreed to give Rs 12 lakh every year in lieu of the lease.

The company had planned to invest Rs 10 crore to develop the garden. To make it profitable, the company invested Rs 1.5 crore for the construction of air-conditioned haunted house. The then chief minister of Bihar, Rabri Devi, inaugurated it on January 1999.