Amid roaring protest, foundation stone of Amusement Park laid at Gandhi Bagh by Pijush Hazarika

September 5: Amid wide protest under the banner of Sammilito Sanskritik Mancha, a conglomeration of 30 plus cultural organisations, the foundation stone of Gandhi Bagh Amusement Park was laid by Pijush Hazarika, Minister of State [Independent] Urban Development, Health & Family welfare [State] Govt of Assam on Thursday late afternoon. The cultural activists of Mancha were also joined by the district Congress led by its former MP Susmita Dev.

The convoy of minister Pijush Hazarika entered Park Road at around 4.15 in the afternoon. Black flags were waved at the minister, when his convoy was passing through Park Road. Cultural activists raised load slogans, “Pijush Hazarika Go Back.” At both the end of the road, hundreds of persons, male and female, young and old together voiced slogans against the Chairperson of Silchar Municipal Board (SMB).

Amid tight security, minister Hazarika along with Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy, Deputy Speaker of Assam Assembly Aminul Haque Laskar, MLA Kishore Nath, SMB Chairman Niharendra Narayan Thakur, former MP Kabindra Purkayastha, BJP district President Kaushik Rai and others entered Gandhi Bagh. Before laying the foudation stone, MP Rajdeep Roy took the minister and showed him the area demarcated for the project of Amusement Park and other commercial establishments which will be built along with the park by Assam Progressive Developers Limited (APDL) under Private Public Partnership (PPP) scheme by Silchar Municipal Board.

After unveiling the foundation stone, Pijush Hazarika, Minister of State [Independent] Urban Development said, “This project is under the Municipality. Under the Municipal laws of the state, it is empowered to go for such projects once it is approved in the Board Meeting. I have heard from your Chairman that it was approved in the Board Meeting.”

When asked about the ongoing protest demonstration, minister Hazarika said, “I don’t care about the protests made by the Congress. I have not scared of even the big leaders of Congress. But if the people of Silchar, its socio-cultural activists say anything to me regarding this, then definitely we will sit for a dialogue with them. If the people of Silchar ask for a change in the project keeping in mind the past tradition of this place, then I will definitely try to do so.”

Mr. Hazarika then went on to say that the the park in its existing status is not at all in a good condition. Now the issue is whether people of a place want good things to happen or not. He said, “At present there is 19 bighas of land at Gandhi Bagh, out of which 2 bighas of land has been placed under a project of AMRUT. Over the rest 17 bighas of land, 2 buildings will be built on two ends. This will be constructed under PPP Model. This is nothing new we are doing. Congress too in the past did things under PPP Model. If you require a park over here, government can’t invest. So if the park is developed then none should have anything adverse to say.”

He also said, “If the Municipality builds a market and earn revenue, then it can disburse the salary to its employees smoothly. But I would like to reiterate that the history, culture and tradition of Silchar is of first priority.” When newsmen asked that there is no Board Resolution regarding construction of buildings and amusement park at Gandhi Bagh, the minister said, “I was informed that there is Board Resolution. Anyhow, I will look into it.”

The proposed Amusement Park will consist of Open Float Slide, High speed body slide, Cloud theme rain dance, Crazy river, Food court, Indoor sports, Multipurpose hall, Cricket pitch, Wave pool, 7 platform water play system, Pendulum slide, Mushroom umbrella, Boating facility on Sap Nala and some other things. Further, a car parking, Star Hotel and a commercial building has also been proposed near the Amusement park.