Regular walkers at Cubbon Park staged a protest here on Sunday against the proposed Cubbon Park Development Authority and urged the State government to continue park management through the State Horticulture Department.
Walkers gathered near the Seshadri Iyer Memorial Library and sat in protest for nearly two hours. They said the government had come out with the proposal unilaterally and that stakeholders had not been consulted.
“If park development is the reason for creating this authority, then the government should post security, staff and provide funds instead of creating an authority,” said Umesh, president of the Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association. Expressing concern that access to the park could be restricted once the authority comes into being, he said the economically backward, who come to park free of cost, would be forced to shell out money. Instead, Mr. Umesh said the government should take steps to protect the park that has shrunk from 270 acres to 192 acres over the years due to encroachment .
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