Kids on the inflatable ride at Rabindra Shishu Udyan in Alipurduar on Thursday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, Nov. 21: The Alipurduar municipality has made a ride in a civic park free of cost after parents’ complaints.

The November 20 edition of Metro had reported that the owner of the inflatable slide at Rabindra Shishu Udyan in Alipurduar town had started charging Rs 5 for every six rounds that the kids took, making it a headache for parents if children did not get off the inflatable contraption.

Till Tuesday, Manik Debnath, who owns the inflatable slide and installed it in the park, had been charging parents for the ride.

Today, though, Aninda Bhowmik, the chairman of Alipurduar municipality, said: “I had earlier said that we will not compromise in any case where the entertainment of children is concerned. So, we have made the ride free. We will pay the owner of the ride Rs 8,000 per month,” he said.

“We have two options. One is to collect an entry fee while the other one is to purchase the ride. We have to find out whether the municipality can collect an entry fee at any park. We are happy as people and children of the town are happy. We are also planning to start a train ride in the park but the plan is in the initial stage,” the civic chairman said.

The ride, which has an inflatable bed with twin slides, was set up by Debnath in the park in April.

The Metro report on November 20

Debnath had an arrangement with the municipality which had agreed to pay him Rs 7,000 a month from April to October. After that he was free to charge for the ride, as the municipality would not pay him.

From November 1, he had started charging Rs 5, from each kid for six rounds. This annoyed the parents who complained to the municipal chairman.

The ride was stopped from November 15 but started again after two days. Debnath again charged money from the children.

After Metro reported the incident on November 20, the collection of money stopped and the ride has become free from yesterday.

The guardians are also happy after the ride has been made free. “The municipality has a number of ways to earn money so they can easily run the ride free of cost. This ride is very popular and more kids will definitely visit the park,” said Alipurduar resident Bappa Saha.

Debnath said: “I started collecting Rs 5 from each kid but from yesterday I stopped collecting the amount after the civic body instructed me not to. They have said they would pay me Rs 8000 a month for the ride. From now on, the ride will be free for every kid. I am quite relieved now because I was collecting a meagre amount after I started charging for the ride.”