The Times of India 11.12.2010
Needless beauty touch for Park St
KOLKATA: Within two years of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s spending Rs 50 lakh towards beautification of Park Street, the civic body has again taken up a beautification plan of the same stretch, raising hackles among the opposition councillors. They have questioned why the civic body took up the plan when worn-out kerb channels were relaid and decorative railings were installed along with a plantation programme to redo the stretch only in 2008.
So, what will the KMC do new this time? According to civic bosses, it will lay new concrete slabs replacing the existing kerb stones, instal railings and plant herbs and shrubs. Left Front councillors said the project has no purpose other than draining out the civic coffers.
A visit to the spot revealed that the kerb stones laid a couple of years ago are in perfect condition and there was no need for any replacement. Similarly, the railings which are being erected could be retained, felt a section of KMC engineers. Plantation of expensive grass, herbs and shrubs is yet another area which is highly debated. A section of KMC parks department officials are highly annoyed over the civic body’s decision to hand the job over to the KMC local borough office.
A senior KMC parks department official said since the KMC parks department was not consulted on this topic, they would not comment on the subject. “All we can say is that we have the expertise to plant saplings and maintain those as part of the beautification project,” a senior official of the KMC parks department said.
Vipul Shah, who owns a garment showroom on Park Street, expressed surprise at the relaying of kerb stones within such a short span of time. “I have been noticing that the corporation is replacing the kerb stones which are not old enough. I would have been happy if they had reacted to some of the civic problems on such a war footing,” Shah said.
Firhad Hakim, the mayor-in-council member overseeing the KMC roads department, however, said laying of new kerb stones would help Park Street get rid of waterlogging in some parts. “These kerb stones are being relaid after assessment was done by our engineers,” Hakim said.
