Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1: The development authority has unwrapped gifts for residents here on the occasion of its 33rd foundation day - open-air gymnasiums at five major parks.
The facilities, which were inaugurated here today, have been named outdoor fitness equipment.
The five gyms are equipped with 12 workout stations that can be accessed free of cost by visitors to achieve perfect health and fitness.
This morning, urban development minister Pushpendra Singh Deo inaugurated the gym at the Buddha Jayanti Park in Niladri Vihar.
The other open-air workout facilities have been opened at the Biju Patnaik Park near Capital Hospital, Kelucharan Park near Netaji Enclave, Madhusudan Park at Pokhariput and the Kharavela Park near Khandagiri.
The state government has spent Rs 47.8 lakh to build the five gyms. Each set of the outdoor fitness equipment consists of an air walker, sit-up bench, air swing, twister, set back or glider, push and pull up chair, knee/hip raise on parallel bars, big shoulder wheel, spinner, bench with fixed dumbbell, bench with fixed weight lift and poles with fixed weight.
Vice-chairman of the development authority Krishan Kumar said: "We have realised that apart from walking and jogging, people also need facilities for more vigorous exercises in our parks. We have selected the equipment supplier through an all-India tender bid. We plan to have 10 parks in the city fitted with these equipment."
Chief horticulturist of the authority Ashok N. Dhar said: "From Day 1, we are getting good response from the people visiting these gyms."
Shantanu Mohanty, who regularly visits the Biju Patnaik Park, said: "The new option to work out in an open environment is a new experience in Bhubaneswar and people will certainly love them."
While five parks today got the outdoor fitness equipment, the development authority today laid the foundation stone for IT-Joggers' Park at Chandrasekharpur.
"The new park aims to draw the employees of different IT companies working in the Infocity. So, we named it IT-Joggers' Park. Interestingly, Joggers' Park was also the name of a Bollywood movie about an elderly man in love with a young and energetic woman," Dhar said.
The IT-Joggers' Park will be developed on 3.32 acres with an investment of around Rs 1 crore. "Facility such as a kids' corner, garden pathway, benches, yoga and meditation platforms, food court, parking area, ornamental landscaping, plantation of medicinal plants will be there in the park," said an authority official.
The housing and urban development minister today also unveiled a commercial complex of the development authority at Nayapalli near the colony of the Reserve Bank of India staff quarters.
Built on an area measuring 22,433sqft, it is a three-storey structure with each floor of 13,700sqft and an additional 11,157sqft parking area in the basement.
