Guwahati Central Jail

April 9: Dispur has decided to turn the vast stretches of the vacant Central Jail land at Fancy Bazar into a “breathing space” using the public-private partnership mode.

With Central Jail inmates having been shifted to a newly constructed complex on the city’s outskirts, this land in the heart of the city is a precious open zone that can be put to good use.

An official source told The Telegraph that the government has taken a decision to hand over the land to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to develop it into an open space with greenery and a water park, with underground car parking.

“The decision to hand over the land to the GMDA was taken at a meeting chaired by chief secretary N.K. Das recently,” the source said.

The basic idea is to develop the land into a “green lung” for Fancy Bazar, which is a concrete jungle with no breathing space.

“The government decided to take the PPP route because the total cost of the project is likely to be between Rs 300 and Rs 400 crore and it is not feasible for the government to spend the entire amount from its own coffers,” the source said.

“Even though the plans are still at a preliminary stage, the government is thinking of constructing an underground car parking facility to solve the park- ing problem in the area,” he said.

Being the main commercial hub of the city, Fancy Bazar and its adjoining areas remain chock-a-block with vehicles for most part of the day.

The state government also wants to keep the area open so that it can be used for rescue operations in case of a disaster like earthquake.

“In case of a major disaster it can also be used as helicopter landing pad for carrying out rescue operations,” he said.

Built in 1881 in Fancy Bazar, the total area of the prison is around 60 bighas.

“This land is extremely precious and thus is highly likely to attract encroachers and land grabbers unless immediate action is taken to protect, preserve and fruitfully utilise it for greater public benefit,” he said.

He said since the area is highly congested and polluted, the government wants to develop an open park with underground multi-level car parking facility and a water park in the low-lying areas adjacent to the railway land.

“There is also a proposal to construct a pedestrian walkway so that the people who come to Fancy Bazar for shopping can take a leisurely stroll,” the source added.