Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Kasturchand Park ready to used for parking star buses

In total disrespect to history and disregard to heritage, the district administration has permitted the parking of Starbuses at the sprawling Kasturchand Park since the last 15 days.

The ground is one of the few open spaces remaining in the city. Apart from exhibitions, all government functions like Republic Day parades and Independence Day functions are also held at the ground. It is also a ground where already many illegal activities thrive.
The move to allow parking of the public transport buses has been roundly criticized by veteran social activist Umesh Choubey, heritage activist Avantika Chitnavis and PIL man Dinesh Naidu.

Allotting parking space to Starbuses has remained a vexed issue ever since it began operations in 2007. With no demarcated area, Vansh Nimay Infra Projects Ltd, which operates 470 buses for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, has been parking the buses on roads, especially the North Ambazari Road stretch near Rani Jhansi Chowk and Amravati Road section near Variety Square.

After the incident of two-three buses being set on fire (around January 18) and some being damaged by agitating Starbus staff, NMC officials and Vansh met Dhanvijay and sought security cover for Starbus parked on roads.

"KP is already being misused for commercial purposes and allowing Starbuses to park there is the last straw," said activist Umesh Choubey. Manager of Vansh, Mahesh Khandalkar told , that even though it has been running the buses for the last five years, "no clear parking space has been allotted to it". The only earmarked slots are Patwardhan ground, a plot near the Zero Mile Stone and Hingna naka.

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