Ranchi: Morning walkers to Morabadi's Dada Dadi Park are in for a surprise. Brand-new equipment set up at its open-air gym arena seem to have gone for a walk.
Fitness equipment installed at the park by its renovating firm Sri Sai Construction in early December 2017 were dismantled last week, depriving scores of free workout sessions.
Asked why, the owner of the renovating firm said they had no choice.
"We undertook renovation of the 5 acre park on behalf of Ranchi Municipal Corporation. But, as the civic body is not taking the park's handover, we had no choice but to dismantle the gym equipment. After all, whenever we hand over the park, we have to ensure the equipment looks new," Sashi Bhushan (Pappu) of Sri Sai Construction said.
He added their renovation, which cost Rs 1.3 crore, and included the open-air gym, besides a tastefully landscaped play area for children with slides, a roller coaster, a canteen, three fountains, walking trails, among others, was finished over a month ago.
"A file has also been sent to the RMC for formal handover. But, the park is still awaiting inauguration," he rued.
He also claimed that though they completed the entire project, RMC was asking them to do additional jobs without clearing earlier bills.
"Of the earlier budget, we were paid only 20 per cent so far. And with 80 per cent payment pending, we are now asked to do stuff like putting rubber mats in the children's playing arena, repair water harvesting structures, install hanging lights from the main gate to the canteen, among others. These extra jobs are estimated at Rs 28 lakh more. We requested RMC to release pending payments so that we can begin new jobs but haven't heard anything from them, so we haven't started the new work."
Contacted, RMC's executive engineer Uma Shankar Ram, who is looking after this project, told this paper they were trying to process pending bills at the earliest.
"Bills are being vetted at the moment, these things take time. We told the vendor to do few more jobs that weren't a part of the original contract, but he maintained he doesn't have funds. We are trying to sort out things at the earliest."
Morabadi regulars are disappointed.
"I loved the new-look park and enjoyed using the fitness equipment, especially the benchpress. I just hope bureaucratic delays don't ruin the new showpiece again," said a 30-something private sector executive and daily visitor to the park.
Why is releasing funds so troublesome for RMC?
Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com
