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Satyagraha to make Central Park people-friendly
Having no alternative, former bureaucrat and founder of Praja Spandana C S Rao filed a PIL in the High Court on March 28, 2005 basing on which, the HC issued stay orders. Later, the site was handed over to the Vuda for development of an entertainment park which was inaugurated by the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on September 14 this year.
Visakhapatnam: Mass Satyagraha on Gandhian lines was launched by all people’s organisations led by Praja Spandana at the Gandhi statue near the GVMC here on Wednesday, demanding that the government make the Vuda City Central Park as people-friendly. With the shifting of the Visakha Central Jail from the city limits to Adavivaram, the government has proposed to convert entire area into a commercial complex with IMAX, food courts and entertainment features to generate revenue which was opposed by all.
Having no alternative, former bureaucrat and founder of Praja Spandana C S Rao filed a PIL in the High Court on March 28, 2005 basing on which, the HC issued stay orders. Later, the site was handed over to the Vuda for development of an entertainment park which was inaugurated by the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on September 14 this year.
The Vuda authorities have introduced exorbitant rates for the entry and user charges for various entertainments inside the park which shocked the middle and lower income groups. Heavy entry fee was not only opposed by the people’s organisations and walkers but also local MLAs too approached the Vuda Vice-Chairman and requested to waive the entry fee.
As there was no positive action, mass satyagraha was launched demanding that the government make the park as people-friendly, informed C S Rao. He said earlier when he along with former bureaucrat and founder of Forum for Better Visakha Dr E A S Sarma visited the park, gave some suggestions including laying of eco-friendly roads for walkers, play equipment for children and to make the entire park as eco-friendly.
However, the authorities have failed to implement our suggestions and imposed heavy entry fee which shocked us,” he added. Lamenting the government attitude of making the park as a commercial venture, Rao suggested to make the entry free for children below 12 years and senior citizens and make the entry fee as Rs five for all.
If at all Vuda feels it difficult to maintain the park, it could collect funds from all Public Sector Undertakings as part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, he explained. Representative of Forum for Development of North Andhra Prof K V Ramana, former Vice-Chancellor of Nagarjuna University Prof V Balamohan Das, EAS Sarma and CPI State Assistant Secretary J V Satyanarayana Murty also opposed the exorbitant entry fee and demanded to make it free for children, senior citizens, walkers and also to all BPL family members. They also suggested to fix Rs 5 as entry fee and to generate revenue from other sources to maintain the park. A large number of other organisations were also present.
