New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has fixed charges for using some of the township’s parks for group activities like playing games.
A signboard has come up in several parks informing that charges would be levied for practice sessions and matches after 8.30am, at the rate of Rs 500 for a maximum of three hours. Users have been asked to contact the estate management wing of the NKDA at the NKDA administrative building for booking.
However, entry continues to be free for morning or evening walkers and joggers. The notice mentions that from 5am to 8.30am and from 6pm to 8pm, entry would be free for physical activities.
“We have prepared eight big grounds to be fit for playing games with funds from New Town Kolkata Green Smart City Corporation and even fenced it up to a height of 15ft with chain link fencing just so the balls do not go out of play. But we have noticed that commercial activities are happening at the parks in several blocks, keeping NKDA in the dark. Some people are even running coaching camps and levying hefty fees from participants. This was also marring the peace and tranquillity of the locality. So we decided to impose a system on the use of the parks,” said an NKDA official.
The decision was taken at a board meeting in end March. The eight parks brought under this system are in DA, DB, DC, BA, BC, AL and CB blocks and opposite the NKDA administrative office next to Rabindra Tirtha in DF Block.
The notice clearly mentions that the playground shall not be used for commercial purpose and display of advertisement boards and banners shall not be allowed without permission from the NKDA.
“This was a necessary step as some blocks were minting money using NKDA property. But we feel the timings for free entry of individuals for doing physical activities need to be relaxed by another hour both in the morning and the evening,” said Samaresh Das, chairman of New Town Forum and News, a residents’ body.
NKDA officials are supposed to meet a group of residents on Friday to hear out their reactions to the notice.
Is it fair for entry charges to be imposed to play in playgrounds? Write to The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001 or email to saltlake@abp.in