With individuals or private companies not coming forward to operate and maintain the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) park that was established at ₹ 9.50 crore at Sree Garden in the city, the Erode Corporation has decided to handover the operation and maintenance of the park to Ankidyne, the contractor that executed the project for a year.
As a pan-city initiative under the Smart Cities Mission, the civic body began work to establish the park in 2021 and completed the project last year. The park, aimed to provide practical knowledge to students in science and technology, has science and mathematics gadgets, evolution gadgets, science on sphere, indoor gallery exhibits, observatory dome with telescope and space zone, The fully air-conditioned digital planetarium has a 360-degree dome with a high-end projection system to screen videos on various astronomical and expedition topics. Apart from this, it also has a play zone for children. The park was established on 48,900 sq. ft. and was expected to be a key attraction for both students and the public.
In the current year, the civic body floated tenders on June 21, July 11, July 26 and August 17 inviting individuals or private companies to operate and maintain the park. Since no one turned up, the Corporation decided to follow the practice followed by other Corporations where such parks were established. Tiruchi Corporation had asked the contractor, who established the park, to operate and maintain it for a year. Hence, the Erode Corporation also decided to follow suit.
A senior engineer told The Hindu that the Corporation had fixed an entry fee of ₹ 10 for children aged between 8 and 15, ₹ 20 for persons above 15. Since the equipment at the park were expensive and required regular maintenance, the civic body has decided to collect fees for the games, trampoline - ₹ 20 for children and ₹ 40 for adults and sky watching - ₹ 15 for children and ₹ 25 for adults. The park would function from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the contractor would be responsible for maintenance of equipment and the park, he added.
