Biju Patnaik Udyan in Cuttack is in a bad shape. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Feb. 17: The Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) is in a quandary over maintaining the 36.5acre Biju Patnaik Udyan in Sector-12 of Markatnagar because of massive maintenance cost.

A CDA official said the annual maintenance cost of the park was Rs 81 lakh, including Rs 8 lakh that the authority paid towards annual rent to the revenue department as it was still in “acquired category”.

Besides, the heavy expenditure incurred in maintaining the park, especially the gardens, lawns, hedges, flowerbeds and pathways, is not permissible under the Orissa Development Authority Act.

To wriggle out of the problem, the CDA had drawn up a plan to develop the park into a tourist spot, by licensing it out to a private party for 30 years.

The empowered committee on infrastructure under the chief secretary had cleared the plan nearly two-and-a-half years ago.

“But no progress on the plan has since been possible due to a legal hurdle,” CDA vice-chairman Pratap Das told The Telegraph today.

The plan envisaged creation of a snow park, along with a ghost park and rain forest with high speed play apparatus, water rides, amusement equipment and food plazas for visitors. The licensing agreement provided payment of annual licence fee of Rs 8.40 lakh by the private party in addition to developing it into a tourist spot within two years.

The proposed deal also provided for developing a portion or site within the park into an ideal venue for public gatherings. It was also planned to upgrade the existing public convenience and amenities.

However, Orissa High Court had imposed a stay order on signing of any agreement to handover the park to any private party.

The CDA had since prohibited picnicking and public meetings at the park, while discontinuing entry between 10am and 5pm (Rs 2 per visitor).

“It’s more than two years that public entry is allowed only between 5am and 8am and 3pm and 5.30pm,” chief watchman at the park Surendra Singh said.

“Lack of maintenance is keeping people away from the park,” said Prafulla Kumar Singh, a resident of Markatnagar, who visits the facility to exercise every morning.

The high court imposed the restrictions on it in an interim order on a PIL on August 11, 2011.

Dharmesh Nayak, a former councillor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation had filed the PIL seeking the court’s direction to the state government to convert the park into a model facility without handing it over to any private party.

Though the CDA had filed a petition for vacating of the stay order, the matter is still languishing in the court.

The case was listed in the court of the Chief Justice on Thursday, but it did not come up for hearing.