Biju Patnaik Udyan in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug. 3: The Cuttack Development Authority’s plan to develop Biju Patnaik Udyan into a tourist spot with high-speed play apparatus, water rides, amusement equipment and food plazas by licensing it out to a private party has come under a cloud. A PIL has been filed seeking intervention against the plan.

The Udyan sprawls over an area of 36.5 acres in Sector 12 of Markatnagar, the satellite township, being developed by the authority on the southwestern fringe of the city.

The authority’s plan envisaged creation of a snow park along with one ghost park and a rain forest in the Udyan by licensing it out on maintain-build-operate and transfer basis for 30 years.

While the empowered committee on infrastructure, under the chief secretary, had already cleared the plan and the bid finalised in favour of a private company, the authority expected to receive the government approval the and sign the agreement by end of this month.

The PIL has sought an interim restriction on signing of agreement with the private party while seeking quashing of the finalised bid. Dharmesh Nayak, a former councillor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation filed the PIL yesterday. Nayak has further sought direction to the state government “to convert the Udyan into a model park” without handing it over to any private party.

The PIL has challenged the licensing-agreement plan that provides payment of annual licence fee of Rs 8.40 lakh by the private party in addition to developing it into a tourist spot as per the authority’s plan within two years. The plan aims to allow a portion within the Udyan to be developed into a venue for public get together in addition to upgrading the existing public convenience and amenities.

A senior officer of the authority said maintenance of the park, especially the gardens, lawns, hedges, flowerbeds and pathways, entailed heavy expenditure which was not permissible under the Orissa Development Authority Act. The annual maintenance cost has been a whopping 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”.

“The licensing plan was drawn to skirt this problem,” the officer said.

The authority’s development plan under the proposed agreement includes creation of food zones at suitable locations and installation of a musical fountain, one snow park along with other facilities and amenities, ghost park and a rain forest.