The district administration’s move to permit a private firm to set up an amusement park at the premises of the Government Pre-University College for Girls (Stone Building) here has raised eyebrows, particularly among academicians and senior officials of various departments.
Political leaders, including C.S. Puttaraju, MP, K.T. Seekante Gowda, Mandya City Municipal Counicl (CMC) president H.C. Boregowda and others inaugurated the park at the ground off Bangalore-Mysore Highway here on Thursday.
Allowing commercial activities at the premises of educational institutions is against the rules pertaining to the Education Department, sources said.
The firm has set up merry-go-round and other rides by neglecting the safety aspects of the visitors. A replica of Taj Mahal and some stalls for commercial activities have also been installed.
According to some lecturers, the district administration/authorities concerned have “zero knowledge” on how the amusement park and commercial activities could affect the academic activities at the college. “It is a girls college and hundreds of outsiders, mainly men, are visiting the college,” Mala and Nalini, students of the college, said.
Expressing helplessness of the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE), senior officials said: “The district administration had sought an opinion [regarding the issuance of permission] from Deputy Director of Pre-University Education B.M. Sreekantaiah. The DPUE was against holding commercial activities at the college ground.”
The authorities concerned have not obtained ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
“We have received the application for NOC,” Ravikumar, District Fire Officer said.
When The Hindu contacted, Mandya Deputy Commissioner S. Ziyaullah and CMC Commissioner T.N. Narasimha Murthy said that they would “look into the matter.”
