The Biju Patnaik Udyan in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug. 11: The Cuttack Development Authority (CDA)’s plan to develop Biju Patnaik Udyan into a tourist spot by leasing it out to a private concern has hit a roadblock with Orissa High Court imposing restrictions on the proposal today.

The CDA had planned building a snow park along with a ghost park, rainforest, high-speed roller-coasters, water rides, other amusement equipment and food plazas by licensing out the park that is spread over 36.5 acre on a maintain-build-operate and transfer basis for 30 years.

Dharmesh Nayak, a former councillor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, had filed a PIL seeking intervention.

“After a preliminary hearing, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra today issued an interim stay order on signing any agreement to hand over of Biju Patnaik Udyan to a private concern,” petitioner counsel Asim Amitav Das told The Telegraph.

“The court also issued notices to the state government and the CDA to file replies,” said Das.

The interim restrictions have come at a time when the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure, which is headed by the chief secretary, had cleared the plan along with the bid finalised in favour of a private company. The CDA authorities had expected to receive the government’s and sign the agreement by the end of this month.

According to the CDA’s plan, the licensing agreement provided for payment of an annual fee of Rs 8.40 lakh by the private concern and development of the park into a tourist spot within two years. An earmarked site within the park was to be developed into an ideal venue for get-togethers in addition to upgrading existing public amenities.

The PIL has sought quashing of the finalised bid and direction to the state government “to convert the park into a model park” without handing it over to any private concern.

According to CDA officials, the annual maintenance cost of the park in Sector 12 of Markatnagar, the satellite township being developed by the CDA on the south-western fringe of the city, has been Rs 81 lakh including Rs 8 lakh which the authority pays towards annual rent to the revenue department as the park is still in the “acquired category”.

Besides, maintenance of the park, especially the gardens — lawns, hedges, flowerbeds and pathways — entailed heavy expenditure which is not permissible under the Orissa Development Authority Act.

The plan for renovation and maintenance of the park on maintain-build-operate and transfer basis for 30 years on licence fee was drawn up to skirt the problem, said CDA officials.