3 months ago
1
The residents and the CPI(M) person opposed handing implicit of the maintenance of Pallapatti Lake to a backstage consultancy, arsenic good arsenic the postulation of monthly interest for utilizing the walkway successful the park.
The Pallapatti lake, dispersed implicit 44 acres, in Salem metropolis was renovated nether the Smart Cities Mission. The renovation, taken up astatine a outgo of ₹35 crore successful 2019, was delayed owed to Covid-19. It was completed successful 2023 and the caller parkland was opened to the public.
People successful the locality utilized to instrumentality strolls on the walkway, and bring their children to play successful the play country escaped of cost. On July 22, 2024, ₹70 lakh worthy of shed and instrumentality successful the children’s play country were destroyed successful a fire. In the lack of information guards, anti-social elements damaged the tiles successful the park.
CPI (M) Salem municipality caput N. Praveen Kumar, besides a nonmigratory of Pallapatti, said determination is nary amusement successful Salem but the parks. The enactment from the opening has been demanding the Corporation supply capable information astatine the park. After the occurrence accident, 5 corp unit were deployed successful the parkland and wrong the adjacent 3 months, the unit spot was reduced to three. Claiming information reasons, the Corporation handed implicit the attraction of the parkland to a backstage consultancy that has fixed an introduction interest of ₹10, a parking interest of ₹20 and ₹300 per period for utilizing the walkway.
If the Corporation needed wealth to tally the park, they tin cod minimum charges from the people. If backstage consultancy could tally the parkland aft collecting money, wherefore cannot the Corporation bash this? Private players volition ever purpose to marque profit. The radical visiting the parkland are mostly regular wagers and those belonging to mediate class. Collection of interest to usage the walkway is unacceptable. On behalf of the CPI (M), a protestation has been planned connected February 19, 2026 against the Corporation for outsourcing the parkland maintenance, Mr. Praveen added.
Salem Corporation officials said the tender was allotted to the backstage consultancy connected February 6. As per the tender, the consultancy is to wage ₹19.56 lakh each twelvemonth to the Corporation. They volition supply amusement, selfie points, toilets, and different facilities successful the park. Monthly walking walk is charged ₹100 and not ₹300.
