Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Park

LUCKNOW: It was a proud moment for the Dalit community when Mayawati inaugurated the Ambedkar Udyan in Gomtinagar. Likewise, October 12, 2004, would please those conforming to the Lohia ideology.

At a stone’s throw distance from Mayawati’s baby, chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav would lay the foundation stone for a Rs 14 crore park in the name of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.

Quickly forgetting that the Ambedkar Udyan was constructed using public money to the tune of Rs 100 crore and would require maintenance too. The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), which was the nodal agency for developing the park, is equally oblivious of any need for maintenance of the park.

Of course, behenji no longer has the authority to open the coffers for unlimited opulence, as was being done even in case of preparations for the Tuesday function for which the LDA is shelling out a minimum of Rs 25 lakh.

A senior LDA official said the state government had not even identified an agency that would look after its maintenance as yet. Also, since it was a project funded by the state government, ideally, the government should provide funds for its maintenance also. The government was, however, not keen to do that as the park was synonymous with whatever Mayawati stands for, he added.

As for the 58 acre Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Park, he said that the park was LDA’s project and LDA would plan for its maintenance. Already, he said, a 10 per cent amount had been set aside for maintenance.

The objective here was to develop a simple green belt in the scheme where people of all generations could spend their time, whereas the Ambedkar Udyan was developed without any consideration for what purpose exactly would it serve, he added.

LDA vice-chairman BB Singh though said that LDA had engaged sweepers for the park and was also paying the electricity bill. However, Singh admitted that the state government had not provided any funds for the park’s maintenance. Since the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam was the executing agency, once the government provided funds, the LDA would transfer the required amount for maintenance, he added.