Cuttack, Sept. 10: The municipal corporation is planning to develop the existing parks in the city and create new ones on vacant government lands.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation has approached the Cuttack Development Authority, requesting the latter to let the civic body undertake plantation and beautification of the parks maintained by it. Of the seven parks that the development authority manages, four are located in the satellite township at Markatnagarand three are at Mahanadi Vihar. The civic body manages another 36 parks.

Official sources said the corporation had come up with the proposal to get maximum benefit out of the central funds allocated to it under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme to develop green space and parks.

According to the scheme, which has special provision for children-friendly components, around Rs 1 crore will be sanctioned to restore the green cover and develop the public amenities.

"We have sought permission from the authority to develop the parks in the city. The decision aims to ensure that all parks in city are well maintained," said corporation commissioner Gyana Das.

Das said the civic body had sought a no-objection certificate from the authority to carry out beautification of the parks.

A corporation official said that once they received the certificate, a detailed project report regarding the existing parks, their areas and the shortcomings would be reviewed and proposals to upgrade the parks would be prepared.

"We will immediately start work to restore the green cover and develop the existing parks after we get the authority's approvals," said Das.

The civic body has also asked the engineering department to conduct a detail survey regarding the available space on government land in the city.

It wants to create small parks and plantations on the vacant patches. The move is expected to check encroachment on government land.

The civic body's decision to acquire permission from the authority for the parks' beautification has elicited mixed reactions from the public.

"We hope that the plans of the civic body materialise. It is already struggling to maintain the parks under its direct control," said Mission road resident Jagdish Mohanty.

Several major parks such as Gaurishankar, Khannagar and Saheed Park lack basic amenities.#