MC prepares new maintenance plan for parks in Sirsa city

The city’s 76 parks, many of which have been in poor state, are set to get a new maintenance plan. Despite the Municipal Council spending millions of rupees on the improvement of parks in the past, one can see broken swings, damaged dustbins and piles of garbage littered in these public spaces. Frustrated residents, who have been repeatedly voicing their concerns, are planning to raise their complaints at the upcoming public court of Cabinet Minister Anil Vij.

In view of the complaints, the local administration has announced a new plan. On Tuesday, the municipal council revealed that various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), other local organisations, and NGOs have been assigned the task of maintaining the parks. In exchange for their services, the council will pay Rs 4.2 per square meter for park maintenance.

Narendra Yogi, founder of the Mahatma Buddha Yoga Institute, Sirsa, said the institute would submit a formal complaint at Minister Anil Vij’s public meeting. Yogi also raised concerns about alleged corruption in the past beautification projects and called for an investigation. He pointed out the poor condition of key parks like Chaudhary Devi Lal Town Park and Railway Park, where broken swings and dry plants are common, and garbage is littered everywhere. As a result, fewer people are visiting these parks.

District Municipal Commissioner Surendra Beniwal confirmed the allocation of 76 parks to various RWAs and NGOs under a new park policy. The Municipal Council will pay around Rs 10 lakh per month for the maintenance work, which will be evaluated after three months. If any issues are identified, the responsibility may be reassigned. He said that any infrastructure repairs required would be handled by the Municipal Council, while the RWAs and NGOs would manage cleanliness and green areas.

The parks have been divided into 18 clusters, each assigned to a specific RWA or NGO for maintenance. Beniwal assured that the new policy would bring about significant improvements.

After nearly eight months of neglect due to previous allotments being cancelled and the election code of conduct, the municipal council is hopeful that the parks will soon be in better shape.