The Deccan Herald 02.11.2010
Fee keeps ‘miscreants’ at bay
Sandeep Moudgal, Bangalore, Nov 1, DH News Service:
Consider this. A rupees two user fee is being levied on any person who enters the Mahatma Gandhi Park on M G Road as a deterrent against young ‘couples’ and ‘miscreants’.
A novel measure that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has begun to utilise across three parks in the City.
While protests and silent agitation are welcome outside the Mahatma Gandhi statue, the BBMP has embarked upon practising the philosophy of “See no evil, Hear no evil and speak no evil” inside the park on M G Road.
User fee
Accordingly, it is learnt that the Palike has begun to levy this user fee to ensure that the number of ‘miscreants’ are unable to use the park for their pleasure.
The three parks where user fee is being levied to keep ‘miscreants’ at bay are M G Park on M G Road, the Richards Park near the Holy Ghost Church in Cox Town and another park in Koramangala.
At the M G Park, the local gardener stated that the fee levied on people had indeed acted as a deterrent for people to enter.
“We see increased activity only towards the weekend and on holidays when there are more people who come into the park for a stroll. On some days people strong-arm us and getaway,” the gardener said.
Maintained by the Horticulture wing of the BBMP, sources stated that the revenue was absolutely minimalistic and did not serve any purpose in terms of accruing revenue.
So much so, the two-acre M G park only sees 30 people each day entering the park for a stroll around the Mahatma’s statue. Overall, the revenue accrued in any given month does not go beyond Rs 2,000.
“The levying of these fees are more of closing the doors on miscreants who utilise the parks for anti-social activities and deface the park,” a source said.
