If everything goes as per the plans of the Ranch Municipal Corporation (RMC) the Naga Baba Khatal near Raj Bhawan would be vacated by A2Z within a maximum of three weeks and the place would be developed as a market along with a thematic park.
RMC, PRO Naresh Sinha confirmed that A2Z would have to vacate the area within maximum of 20 days. The area has been used as a parking space as well as dumping ground by A2Z Infrastructure Company, the company that takes care of the city’s sanitation, for more than a year.
“We have decided to provide them an alternate area for dumping. The place has been identified by RMC,” said Sinha. However, senior official of A2Z denied any such communication.
Almost 5.5 acres of land which is called Naga Baba Khatal was earlier “encroached” by dairy vendors. And in the civic body’s anti-encroachment drive some two years back—on 27 and 28 March 2011 –the area was made encroachment free by demolishing hundreds of homes and uprooting many shops.
The purpose of the anti-encroachment drive was to beautify that area which fell just in front of the Raj Bhawan. The beautification of the area was thought to be a much needed step not only because the area was in the heart of the city but also because it fell in front of the Raj Bhawan. Its beauty could contribute a lot to the beauty quotient of Raj Bhawan.
But the beautification drive of the area could never take off because of the reasons known only to RMC and administrations. The area, as stands today appears filthier than earlier. The air around the area smells foul because of the stenches that mix in the air from the garbage that A2Z dumps here.
It bears very unpleasant look with A2Z parking its Non-Performing Assets- old and defunct vehicles along with the usable vehicles and plastic garbage containers. These things besides, the ‘possession’ of the area by A2Z also led to revenue losses to RMC.
But RMC PRO argues that there were no questions of revenue loss. “Even if the area were to be remained unoccupied we would not have gotten any revenue. A2Z used that area because we failed to provide a dumping ground for garbage to them. It was RMC’s duty and when failed to do that we allowed them to use the plot,” he said.
Now with RMC saying that it had prepared the Detailed Project Report for development of the Naga Baba Khatal as a market (in some part of the plot) and a thematic park (in the rest part of it) one might hope that people around the area gets some relief of the foul stenches of garbage. And Raj Bhawan too would end up getting a beauty lift!